- Date
- March 11, 2007, 15:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Fredericksburg, VA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9150SBeech C23
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 29, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070311003139A
- Case key
- 65417
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 misjudgment of the airplane's speed and distance during the landing approach.
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.
Analysis
During the pilot's initial attempt to land the Beech C23 on a 2,999-foot long runway, the airplane was "too high and too hot," so he executed a go-around. After completing a circuit around the airport traffic pattern, the pilot descended to 500 feet on the final leg of the approach, and added "one notch" of flaps. About 1/4 mile from the runway, the pilot reduced engine power to idle, and crossed the runway threshold at 75 feet and 90 mph airspeed. The airplane touched down within the first 1,000 feet of the runway, bounced, and floated another 500 feet. The airplane touched down again around the mid-point of the runway. The pilot then applied the brakes, but the airplane was not slowing as he expected it to. With 500 feet of runway remaining, the pilot elected not to abort the landing and continued applying the brakes. The airplane then departed the runway end, encountered a ditch, and came to rest upright. Following the accident, while the airplane was being recovered, a mechanic commented to the pilot that the brakes looked "worn." The pilot stated that had he known this, he would not have flown the airplane. According to the airplane's Pilot Operating Handbook, the flaps down landing approach speed was 78 mph, and the flaps up speed was 92 mph.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, during his initial attempt to land the Beech C23 on a 2,999-foot long runway, the airplane was "too high and too hot," so he executed a go-around. After completing a circuit around the airport traffic pattern, the pilot descended the airplane to 500 feet on the final leg of the approach, and added "one notch" of flaps. About 1/4 mile from the runway, the pilot reduced engine power to idle, and crossed the runway threshold at 75 feet and 90 mph airspeed. The airplane touched down within the first 1,000 feet of the runway, bounced, and floated another 500 feet. The airplane touched down again around the mid-point of the runway. The pilot then applied the brakes, but the airplane was not slowing as he expected. With 500 feet of runway remaining, the pilot elected not to abort the landing and continued applying the brakes. The airplane then departed the runway end, encountered a ditch, and came to rest upright. Following the accident, while the airplane was being recovered, a mechanic commented to the pilot that the brakes looked "worn." The pilot stated that had he known this, he would not have flown the airplane. According to the airplane's Pilot Operating Handbook, the flaps down landing approach speed was 78 mph, and the flaps up speed was 92 mph.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9150S
- Reported as
- Beech C23
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- M1771
- Airframe hours
- 1,905
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2006
- Departed
- W66 · Warrenton, VA
- Destination
- EZF · Fredericksburg, VA
- Airport
- EZF · Shannon Airport, runway 24, 2,999 × 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
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 520 total · 215 in this make and model · 27 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 10 knots, gusting 14
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- EZF
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 N9150S · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.