MIA08CA190

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 310R · Lake Placid, NY · September 10, 2008

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
September 9, 2008, 22:15 local (Sep 10, 2008, 02:15 UTC)
Place
Lake Placid, NY
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N115CACessna 310R
Defining event
Landing: Airport occurrence
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Night
Status
Completed · report January 22, 2009
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
FAA/FSDO
FAA report
20080909849259A
Case key
68907

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 observe the ongoing construction to the closed runway while landing. Contributing to the accident was flight service's failure to brief the pilot of the closed runway.

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.

Perception/orientation/illusion: perceptionPersonnel issues › Psychological · PilotCessna 310R: 1 caseAll aircraft: 61 casesProbable cause
Action: forgotten action/omissionPersonnel issues › Action/decision · Flight service personnelCessna 310R: 1 caseAll aircraft: 440 casesProbable cause
Airport facilities/design: runway/landing area conditionEnvironmental issues › Operating environment · Availability of related infoCessna 310R: 1 caseAll aircraft: 61 casesProbable cause
Airport facilities/design: runway/landing area conditionEnvironmental issues › Operating environment · Awareness of conditionCessna 310R: 1 caseAll aircraft: 61 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 was on a night visual flight rules cross-country flight with air traffic control (ATC) flight following, from Iowa to Lake Placid, New York. Throughout the flight the pilot was in contact with several ATC centers. When the flight was about 2 hours from arrival, he obtained a briefing from a flight service station. During the briefing, the pilot was not provided with the notice to airmen regarding the closed runway at his destination airport. During his approach, the pilot was able to activate the closed runway’s lights at the destination airport. The pilot did not notice any abnormality during the approach and landing. During the landing roll, the airplane encountered several gaps on the runway. The airplane incurred damage from the runway surface conditions. The runway was closed and under construction. The runway had unlit "X" markings, eight flashing markers in the middle, and cones located at both approach ends.

Factual narrative

The pilot of the Cessna 310R stated that he and his passenger departed from Waterloo Airport (ALO), Waterloo, Iowa about 1800 eastern daylight time, destined for Lake Placid Airport (LKP), Lake Placid, New York. Prior to the flight, he checked weather conditions via the Internet for the visual flight rules flight. After takeoff, the pilot requested flight following from air traffic control (ATC) for the route, and it was granted. About 2 hours before the estimated arrival time to LKP, the pilot made contact with Lansing, Michigan Flight Service and requested a briefing. During the briefing, the pilot was not provided with the notice to airmen (NOTAM) regarding a closed runway at LKP. Throughout the remainder of the flight, the pilot was in contact with several different ATC centers. The pilot terminated the flight following from Boston Center when he was 20 minutes from LKP. Prior to terminating the flight following, he listened to the Saranac Lake Airport automated surface observing system to determine local weather conditions. About 12 miles from LKP, the pilot keyed his microphone on LKP’s common traffic advisory frequency to bring the runway lights on. The pilot located LKP’s runway 14 when he was 10 miles out. During the approach and landing, the pilot did not notice anything abnormal. Seconds into the landing rollout, the airplane encountered several gaps on the runway. The airplane came to a stop on the left side of the runway, incurring damage to the landing gear and fuselage. The pilot and passenger were able to disembark the airplane without assistance and were uninjured. The responding Federal Aviation Administration inspector stated that the runway was closed and under construction. Several sections of the runway’s surface were removed. There were eight flashing markers in the middle of the runway and cones with an "X" marking at the approach end of the runway. The "X" marking was not lit and the runway’s lighting system was not deactivated.

Aircraft

Registration
N115CA
Reported as
Cessna 310R
Category
Airplane
Serial number
310R0665
Airframe hours
9,549
Engines
Teledyne Continental Motors TSIO-520-EB, 300 horsepower, reciprocatingTeledyne Continental Motors TSIO-520-EB, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Aerial observation · Part 91
Operator
Great Lakes Professional Leasing LLC
Registered owner
Great Lakes Professional Leasing LLC
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · January 10, 2008
Departed
ALO · Waterloo, IA
Destination
LKP · Lake Placid, NY
Airport
LKP · Lake Placid Airport, runway 14, 4,200 × 60 ft, concrete

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
36
Injuries
None
Certificate
Commercial
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
May 30, 2007
Seat
Left
Flight hours
5,300 total · 3,400 in this make and model · 125 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Night
Wind
Calm
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
4,000 ft broken
Temperature
50 °F, dew point 46 °F
Altimeter
30.04 inHg
Observed at
KSLK, 13 nm away

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.