ERA10CA079

NTSB accident investigation · Air Gulfstream Airlines SX-300 · West Palm Beach, FL · November 14, 2009

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
November 14, 2009, 17:45 local (22:45 UTC)
Place
West Palm Beach, FL
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N884Air Gulfstream Airlines SX-300
Defining event
Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Dusk
Status
Completed · report May 6, 2010
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Eastern Region Aviation
Parties
FAA/FSDO
FAA report
20091114052069A
Case key
75099

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The loss of directional control while landing for undetermined reasons.

Findings · 2

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.

Performance/control parameters: directional controlAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedAll aircraft: 3,958 casesProbable cause
Action: incomplete actionPersonnel issues › Action/decision · PilotAll aircraft: 105 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 stated that the airplane began to track to the right immediately after touchdown on runway 15. He applied left rudder and full power in an attempt to go around and the airplane lifted briefly, but then touched down off the right side of the runway. Upon contact with the unimproved surface, all three landing gear collapsed, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane. The nearest official weather reporting station, approximately 5 miles to the north of the accident site, reported that the winds were from 010 degrees at 6 knots. The pilot indicated that there was a mechanical malfunction with the brakes or landing gear that caused the airplane to track to the right upon touchdown. He also stated that he successfully performed a brake check prior to the flight, and that the airplane was tracking normally during the takeoff roll. Examination by an airframe and power plant mechanic revealed that the right main gear upper trunnion mount and the left main landing gear scissor were broken. All components of the brake system were in “very good, operational, condition” and there was no evidence of any preexisting anomalies with either the brakes or the landing gear.

Factual narrative

The pilot stated that the airplane began to track to the right immediately after touchdown on runway 15. He applied left rudder and full power in an attempt to go around, and the airplane lifted briefly, but then touched down off the right side of the runway. Upon contact with the unimproved surface, all three landing gear collapsed resulting in substantial damage to the airplane. The nearest official weather reporting station approximately 5 miles to the north of the accident site showed the winds were from 010 degrees at 6 knots. The pilot indicated on the NTSB 6120.1, that there was a mechanical malfunction with the brakes or landing gear that caused the airplane to track to the right upon touchdown. He also stated that he successfully performed a brake check prior to the flight, and that the airplane was tracking normally during the takeoff roll. Examination by an airframe and power plant mechanic revealed that the right main gear upper trunnion mount and the left main landing gear scissor were broken. All components of the brake system were in “very good, operational, condition”, and there was no evidence of any pre-existing anomalies with either the brakes or the landing gear.

Aircraft

Registration
N884
Reported as
Air Gulfstream Airlines SX-300
Category
Airplane, amateur-built
Serial number
84
Airframe hours
931
Engine
Lycoming IO-540, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Air Gulfstream Airlines Inc
Registered owner
Air Gulfstream Airlines Inc
Airworthiness certificate
Special, Experimental (Special)
Last inspection
Annual · November 5, 2009 · 2 hours before
Departed
PHK · Pahokee, FL
Destination
LNA · West Palm Beach, FL
Airport
LNA · Palm Beach County Airport, runway 15, 3,421 × 100 ft, asphalt

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
72
Injuries
None
Certificate
Commercial
Airplane ratings
Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
September 13, 2009
Seat
Left
Flight hours
4,950 total · 930 in this make and model · 4,950 as pilot in command · 41 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Dusk
Wind
10° at 6 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
72 °F, dew point 55 °F
Altimeter
29.90 inHg
Observed at
KPBI, 5 nm away

Docket · 5

The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 19, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 936 KB 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.