# NTSB ANC94LA009: Douglas C-54GDC, N811E, Point Lay, AK, October 9, 1993 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: October 8, 1993, 17:35 local (Oct 9, 1993, 01:35 UTC) - Place: Point Lay, AK - Coordinates: 64.90055, -148.160903 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=64.9005&lon=-148.1609&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report December 2, 1994 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 2467 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC94LA009 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/2467/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC94LA009 ## Probable cause THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO PERFORM PROPER PREFLIGHT PLANNING BY NOT COMPUTING THE REQUIRED LANDING RUNWAY LENGTH. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, landing - roll - terrain condition - icy - preflight planning/preparation - not performed, pilot in command (cause) - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing - roll ## Analysis THE CAPTAIN STATED THERE WERE NO RUNWAY CONDITION REPORTS AND A LOCAL CONTACT STATED THE RUNWAY WAS IN GOOD CONDITION. THEY LANDED AND THE BRAKING ACTION WAS NIL. THE CAPTAIN MANEUVERED THE AIRPLANE TO A DRY PATCH OF DIRT ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. WHEN THE MAIN GEAR ROLLED ONTO THE DRY PATCH THE AIRPLANE VEERED SHARPLY TO THE LEFT AND DEPARTED THE RUNWAY. BOTH CREWMEMBERS STATED A GO AROUND WAS NOT POSSIBLE. ACCORDING TO LANDING PERFORMANCE CHARTS, THE MINIMUM LANDING RUNWAY LENGTH WAS 4500 FEET ON A DRY HARD SURFACE RUNWAY. THE ACTUAL RUNWAY LENGTH WAS 3500 FEET. ## Factual narrative On October 8, 1993, at 1735 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Douglas, C54GDC airplane, N811E, registered to and operated by Brooks Fuel of Fairbanks, Alaska, veered off the left side of the runway after landing at Point Lay, Alaska. The business flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 91, departed Fairbanks, Alaska, with a cargo of unleaded automotive fuel, and the destination was Point Lay. A company flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the Pilot-in-Command, Co-Pilot, and the passenger were not injured. According to the Pilot in Command, there was no runway condition report so they called someone locally at Point Lay and were told that the runway was in good condition. The Captain stated that he applied brakes upon landing and there was some slight braking. As the airplane proceeded down the runway, braking became nil. The Captain attempted to maneuver the airplane toward the left side of the runway onto a visible strip of dirt. The left main gear caught on the dirt and veered the airplane off the left side of the runway. According to the First Officer they touched down on the end of the ruwnay and the Captain had braking. Shortly there after braking was nil and he said that when the left main gear finally rolled onto the dirt near the left edge of the runway, the airplane made a sharp left turn and left the runway. Both crewmembers stated that the airplane had progressed far enough down the runway so that a successful go around was impossible. According to the Alaska Supplement the runway at Point Lay is 3500 feet long and has a field elevation of 20 feet above mean sea level. With the outside air temperature reported as 38 degrees fahrenheit, the density altitude was approximately 19.5 feet. According to the Captian, the landing weight of the airplane was 63,040 pounds. According to information provided by the Douglas Aircraft Corporation, for a charted gross weight of 63,500 pounds, at sea level, using wing flaps 50, a coefficient of friction of .05 (slippery surface), the landing distance over a 50 foot obstacle listed is 4700 feet. According to the Douglas Aircraft landing performance chart, the minimum effective landing runway length for a dry hard surface was 4500 feet. A distance of 1000 feet greater than the actual landing length of the runway. Both crewmembers also stated that they had a threshold speed of 94 knots and a touchdwon speed of 87 knots. Douglas Aircraft information shows that the airplane should glide at 110 knots and land at 99 knots. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N811E](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N811E-1998-02-12), registration cancelled 1998-02-12, S/N 36080 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: DOUGLAS C-54GDC - Registry model: [Douglas C-54G](https://openairdocs.org/model/douglas-c-54g) (registry code 3021536) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 36080 - Airframe hours: 28585 - Engines: P&W R2000-4 1450 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Business, Part 91 - Operator: Brooks Fuel - Registered owner: Roger W. Brooks - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Provisional (Special); Standard, Transport - Last inspection: AAIP, October 4, 1994, 20 hours before - Departed: FAI, FAIRBANKS, AK - Flight plan: Company VFR - Airport: PIZ, Point Lay, runway 23, 3,500 × 100 ft, ice ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 48; flight instructor, airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, multi-engine sea, multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 20,000 total, 2,400 in this make and model, 19,500 as pilot in command ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 130° at 10 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 3,300 ft overcast - Temperature: 37 °F ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19931008038589A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19931008038589A), Oct 8, 1993: Doug C54G, Point Lay, AK, Substantial damage. Unable to stop on 3500 ft icy runway. Ran a wheel off side into dirt to prevent overrun. Book calls for 4700 feet. ## Other investigations on N811E (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB CHI66I0052](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI66I0052), Nov 23, 1965: Douglas DC-8 (N811E), Chicago, IL, incident, minor damage From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.