CEN13LA023

NTSB accident investigation · Beech B90 · Sturtevant, WI · October 22, 2012

Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
October 22, 2012, 18:30 local (23:30 UTC)
Place
Sturtevant, WI
Injuries
1 minor, 1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N821DABeech B90
Defining event
Landing: Runway excursion
Weather
Instrument (IMC) · Night
Status
Completed · report September 30, 2013
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Central Region
Parties
FAA-Milwaukee FSDO
FAA report
20121022023969A
Case key
85397

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's decision to continue the landing after touching down long and on a wet runway that reduced the airplane’s braking capability, which resulted in an overrun.

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.

Aircraft capability: braking capabilityAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Capability exceededBeech B90: 1 caseAll aircraft: 57 casesProbable cause
Action: incorrect action selectionPersonnel issues › Action/decision · PilotBeech B90: 2 casesAll aircraft: 397 casesProbable cause
Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface: wet surfaceEnvironmental issues › Physical environment · Effect on operationBeech B90: 1 caseAll aircraft: 141 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: descent/approach/glide pathAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedBeech B90: 2 casesAll aircraft: 809 casesProbable cause

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 the airplane floated during the landing flare, touched down long, bounced, and went off the end of the runway. The airplane struck two ditches before coming to rest on a road. The pilot stated that he should have recognized that braking action would be significantly reduced with the possibility of hydroplaning, that pulling the power levers to the stops before touchdown induced a lag in realization of reverse thrust, and that he should have executed a go-around when the airplane floated before landing. No mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane were reported. Heavy rain was reported about the time of the accident at a nearby airport.

Factual narrative

On October 22, 2012, about 1845 central daylight time, a Beech B90 airplane, N821DA, collided with a fence and a ditch when it overran runway 8R (2,272 feet by 38 feet, asphalt) while landing at the Sylvania Airport (C89), Sturtevant, Wisconsin. The commercial pilot was not injured and his passenger received minor injuries. The airplane sustained damage to its fuselage and both wings. The airplane was registered to Direct Action Aviation LLC, and was operated by Skydive Midwest. The accident flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was not operated on a flight plan. The flight originated from the Jackson County Airport-Reynolds Field (JXN), Jackson, Michigan, about 1800. The pilot reported that the landing approach was normal and when the airplane crossed the runway threshold it floated and he pulled the engine power levers to the stops. He stated that although he did not remember the airplane bouncing, his passenger told him that it had. He pulled the power levers to reverse, but there was no immediate reverse thrust. He applied brakes and felt the airplane accelerate. He recognized that he would not be able to stop the airplane on the remaining runway and attempted to steer it to the north. The airplane left the runway, impacted two ditches and came to rest on a highway. The pilot stated that he should have recognized that braking action would be significantly reduced with the possibility of hydroplaning, that pulling the power levers to the stops before touchdown induced a lag in realization of reverse thrust, and that he should have executed a go-around when the airplane floated before landing. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane. At 1853, weather conditions reported at the Kenosha regional Airport (ENW), located 6 miles south of the accident site, included heavy rain.

Aircraft

Registration
N821DA
Reported as
Beech B90
Category
Airplane
Serial number
LJ-406
Airframe hours
12,637
Engines
Pratt & Whitney PT6 SER 578HP, 550 horsepower, turbo propPratt & Whitney PT6 SER 578HP, 550 horsepower, turbo prop
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Skydive Midwest
Registered owner
Direct Action Aviation LLC
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
AAIP · September 21, 2012
Departed
JXN · Jackson, MI
Destination
C89 · Sturtevant, WI
Airport
C89 · Sylvania Airport, runway 08R, 2,272 × 38 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
41
Injuries
None
Certificate
Commercial
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
October 25, 2011
Seat
Left
Flight hours
2,331 total · 1,425 in this make and model · 2,331 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Instrument (IMC) · Night
Wind
100° at 5 knots
Visibility
1 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
1,100 ft overcast
Temperature
57 °F, dew point 55 °F
Altimeter
29.89 inHg
Observed at
ENW, 6 nm away

Docket · 1

The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 5, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.0 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.