ERA14LA173

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 206H · Philadelphia, PA · March 21, 2014

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
March 21, 2014, 12:31 local (16:31 UTC)
Place
Philadelphia, PA
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N309JKCessna 206H
Defining event
Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report December 19, 2014
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Eastern Region Aviation
FAA report
20140321002449A
Case key
88971

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 pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane while landing in gusty wind conditions.

Findings · 3

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.

Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: directional controlAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedAll aircraft: 3,958 casesProbable cause
Wind: gustsEnvironmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on operationAll aircraft: 1,199 cases

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.

Loss of control on groundLanding-landing rollAll aircraft: 4,585 casesDefining event

Analysis

At the conclusion of the uneventful flight, the pilot approached to land in gusty wind conditions. As the airplane touched down during the landing, it began skidding across the runway to the left on the right main and nose landing gear. The pilot attempted to regain control of the airplane by reducing engine power and applying heaving braking, but the airplane departed the side of the runway. Before coming to a stop, the airplane rolled to the right, and the right wing contacted the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the wing. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Factual narrative

On March 21, 2014, about 1231 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 206H, N309JK, was substantially damaged during a runway excursion while landing at Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The airline transport pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the airplane was operating on an instrument flight rules flight plan. The positioning flight originated from Manassas Regional Airport (HEF), Manassas, Virginia. At the conclusion of the uneventful flight, the pilot approached to land on runway 33. As the airplane touched down during the landing, it began skidding across the runway to the left on the right main and nose landing gear. The pilot attempted to regain control of the airplane by reducing engine power and applying heaving braking, but the airplane departed the side of the runway. Before coming to a stop, the airplane rolled to the right and the right wing contacted the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the wing. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. PNE was located at an elevation of 120 feet, and had two intersecting runways oriented in a 6/24 and 33/15 configuration. Runway 33 was 5,000 feet-long by 150 feet-wide and was equipped with a 4-light precision approach path indicator. The weather conditions reported at PNE, at 1254, included winds from 310 degrees magnetic at 10 knots, gusting to 17 knots, clear skies below 12,000 feet, 10 statute miles visibility, a temperature of 11 degrees C, a dew point of -4 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 30.03 inches of mercury. The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single and multiengine land. He reported 8,297 total hours of flight experience, 8,069 hours of which were in the accident airplane make and model. His most recent flight review was completed about one month prior to the accident.

Aircraft

Registration
N309JK
Reported as
Cessna 206H
Category
Airplane
Serial number
20608219
Built
2004
Airframe hours
3,076
Engine
Lycoming IO-540-AC1A5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Positioning · Part 91
Operator
Northwest Aircraft Leasing Corp
Registered owner
Northwest Aircraft Leasing Corp
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · March 20, 2014 · 2 hours before
Departed
HEF · Manassas, VA
Destination
PNE · Philadelphia, PA
Flight plan
IFR
Airport
PNE · Northeast Philadelphia, runway 33, 5,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
Equipment
Auto-pilot, Stall warning system

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
51
Injuries
None
Certificates
Airline transport, Commercial
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
February 10, 2014
Seat
Left
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
8,297 total · 8,069 in this make and model · 99 in the last 90 days · 38 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
300° at 10 knots, gusting 17
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
52 °F, dew point 25 °F
Altimeter
30.03 inHg
Observed at
KPNE

Docket · 2

The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 5, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 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.