- Date
- March 21, 2012, 11:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Malvern, AR
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N17MJBeech V35B
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing area overshoot
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Little Rock FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120321004509A
- Case key
- 83295
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot did not fly a stabilized approach and elected not to perform a go-around, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he diverted to the accident airport due to weather with low ceilings. He encountered a gust of wind and rain during the turn from the base leg to final approach, which caused the airplane to be right of the runway centerline. Although the airplane floated down the runway and landed long, the pilot elected not to do a go-around. The pilot reported that the wet runway caused the tires to hydroplane, which increased the stopping distance. The airplane was traveling about 5 to 10 mph when it overran the end of the runway. The pilot attempted to veer the airplane to the left, but the right wing hit a fence, and the nose gear collapsed. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to a longeron in the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he diverted to the accident airport due to weather with low ceilings. He encountered a gust of wind and rain during the turn from the base leg to final which caused him to be right of the runway centerline. Although the airplane floated down the runway and landed long, the pilot elected not to do a go-around. The pilot reported that the wet runway caused the tires to hydroplane, which increased the stopping distance. The airplane was traveling about 5 to 10 mph when it overran the end of the runway. The pilot attempted to veer the airplane to the left, but the right wing hit a fence and the nose gear collapsed. The examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to a longeron in the empennage. The pilot reported that there was no mechanical malfunction or failure of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N17MJ
- Reported as
- Beech V35B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-9710
- Airframe hours
- 2,817
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO 520, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Cole Gaither
- Registered owner
- Cole Gaither
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 2011
- Departed
- PRX · Paris, TX
- Destination
- JZI · Charleston, SC
- Airport
- M78 · Malvern Municipal, runway 22, 3,188 × 60 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,000 total · 500 in this make and model · 95 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 64 °F
- Observed at
- HOT, 19 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 23, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.