- Date
- January 25, 1997, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Provincetown, MA
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N121PBCessna 402C
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 4, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970125000799I
- Case key
- 28145
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
the pilot's inadequate inflight planning/decision, and his misjudgment of speed and distance. Related factors were: fog, tailwind, and soft terrain on the overrun area at the end of the runway.
Analysis
The pilot reported that during an ILS Runway 7 Approach, he acquired the runway at 250 feet above the ground level, and performed a normal touchdown. After touchdown, the airplane continued down the 3,500 foot runway, and went off the end onto a soft overrun area, where the right main gear collapsed. The published decision height for the ILS approach was 208 feet. The 1335 EDT weather at the airport was reported, in part, to be 100 foot overcast, visibility 1/2 mile with fog, wind from 220 degrees at 15 knots.
Factual narrative
The factual narrative395 words
On January 25, 1997, at 1400 eastern standard time, a Cessna 402C, N121PB, registered to Hyannis Air Service Inc., of Hyannis, Massachusetts, doing business as Cape Air 1088, sustained minor damage when it overran the runway during landing at the Provincetown Airport, Provincetown, Massachusetts. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an IFR flight plan had been filed. The certificated airline transport pilot and four passengers were not injured. The scheduled commuter flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 135, and originated in Boston, Massachusetts, at 1330.
The pilot reported that he checked the destination weather twice, once before departure, and the second prior to commencing the ILS 7 approach. He executed the approach, and made a normal touchdown. During the rollout, he experienced a strong, sudden, quartering tailwind, with wind gusts of approximately 20 knots. He said:
"...The gust of wind carried the airplane down the runway instantaneously precluded a go-around and rendered braking ineffective. I employed maximum braking technique to bring the aircraft to a stop... ."
The airplane then exited the runway onto the soft overrun area, and the right main gear collapsed.
One of the passengers said, "...[when] the airplane touched down it seemed to veer a bit from side to side. It didn't slow down, and suddenly we were out of runway... ." The witness said it was very foggy.
The pilot said he acquired the runway at approximately 250 feet AGL. He said the runway was wet, and there was patchy standing water. The weather briefing the pilot received prior to commencing the approach stated the winds were from 220 degrees at 12 knots. He said he was within the aircraft limitations, and the Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) reports showed the winds began to gust after his normal approach and touchdown. The pilot stated there was no mechanical malfunction with the airplane.
A Federal Aviation Administration Inspector reported that the airplane had touched down about 700 feet down the 3,498 foot long runway. The decision height for the ILS was 208 feet AGL. The Provincetown 1355 AWOS, reported winds from 220 degrees at 15 knots; visibility, 1/2 mile in fog; ceiling, 100 feet; temperature,43 degrees Fahrenheit (F); dewpoint, 43 F; and altimeter, 29.67 Hg.
Five days after the accident, the airline issued parameters for arrivals and departures from the airport, which included landing with a maximum tailwind of 10 knots.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N121PB
- Reported as
- Cessna 402C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 402C0507
- Airframe hours
- 13,021
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-VB, 325 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Hyannis Air Service, doing business as Cape Air
- Registered owner
- Hyannis Air Service Inc.,
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · January 23, 1997 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- BOS · Boston, MA
- Destination
- PVC · MA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- PVC · Provincetown Muni, runway 7, 3,498 × 100 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
- 30
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Flight engineer, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,400 total · 600 in this make and model · 4,700 as pilot in command · 130 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 0.5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 100 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PVC
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N121PB · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.