NYC08LA178

NTSB accident investigation · Embraer EMB-110P1 · Potsdam, NY · April 12, 2008

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
April 12, 2008, 09:30 local (13:30 UTC)
Place
Potsdam, NY
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N62CZEmbraer EMB-110P1
Defining event
Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight
Weather
Instrument (IMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report June 22, 2009
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
FAA/FSDO
FAA report
20080412857579A
Case key
67897

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 directional control during landing.

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
Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotAll aircraft: 9,295 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

After the airplane descended below the cloud deck during an instrument approach, the pilot configured the airplane for landing by reducing the airspeed to 100 knots and extending full flaps. As the airplane crossed the runway threshold, the pilot initiated the landing flare and the plane veered to the left. The pilot then "over corrected" to the right, resulting in the right wingtip contacting the runway. Shortly afterward, the left main landing gear contacted the turf off of the left side of the runway and collapsed as the airplane impacted the mud. Examination of the airplane and accident site revealed four white scratch marks approximately 20 feet in length, observed on the first 1,000 feet of the runway, left of the centerline. Approximately 15 feet forward of the point where the scratch marks ended, off the left side of the runway in the mud, was a trench the width of the main landing gear. No preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane were reported by the pilot. The weather reported at the time of the accident included calm winds, 1 and 1/2 miles visibility with mist, overcast clouds at 300 feet, temperature 2 degrees C, and a dew point of 1 degree C.

Factual narrative

On April 12, 2008, at 0930 eastern daylight time, an Embraer EMB-110, N62CZ, was substantially damaged during landing at Potsdam Municipal Airport (PTD), Potsdam, Pennsylvania. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight. The flight originated at Syracuse International Airport, Syracuse, New York, and was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135.

According to the pilot, he performed the GPS Runway 24 approach at PTD, and as he broke out of the clouds, he configured the airplane for landing, by reducing the airspeed to 100 knots and extending full flaps. As the airplane crossed the runway threshold, the pilot initiated the landing flare and the plane veered to the left. The pilot then "over corrected" to the right, resulting in the right wingtip contacting the runway. Shortly after, the left main landing gear contacted the turf off the left side of the runway, and collapsed as the airplane impacted the mud.

The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical anomalies with the airplane.

Examination of the airplane and accident site by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed four white scratch marks approximately 20 feet in length, observed on the first 1,000 feet of runway 24, left of the centerline. Approximately 15 feet forward of the point where the scratch marks ended, off the left side of the runway in the mud, was a trench the width of the main landing gear. Substantial damage was noted to the left wing spar.

The engine was further examined under the supervision of a FAA inspector. No pre-impact mechanical anomalies were identified during the examination.

Weather reported at an airport 16 miles north of PTD, at 0936, included calm winds, 1 and 1/2 miles visibility with mist, overcast clouds at 300 feet, temperature 2 degrees Celsius (C), and dew point 1 degree C.

The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single and multiengine land, and instrument airplane. He also held a flight instructor certificate. The pilot's most recent FAA second-class medical was issued on April 2, 2008. At the time of the accident, the pilot reported 3,530 hours of total flight experience, 821 of which were in the make and model of the accident airplane. The pilot additionally reported 102 hours of flight experience in the previous 90 days, and 41 hours in the previous 30 days, all of which were in the accident airplane make and model.

Aircraft

Registration
N62CZ
Reported as
Embraer EMB-110P1
Category
Airplane
Serial number
110.388
Airframe hours
24,924
Engines
P&W Canada PT6A-60A, 1,050 horsepower, turbo propP&W Canada PT6A-60A, 1,050 horsepower, turbo prop
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Part 135
Operator
Air Now
Registered owner
Business Air Inc
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
AAIP · February 25, 2008
Departed
SYR · Syracuse, NY
Destination
PTD · Potsdam, NY
Flight plan
IFR
Airport
PTD · Potsdam Municipal Airport, runway 24, 3,705 × 60 ft, asphalt

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
32
Injuries
None
Certificates
Commercial, Flight instructor
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
February 29, 2008
Seat
Left
Flight hours
3,530 total · 821 in this make and model · 3,400 as pilot in command

Weather

Conditions
Instrument (IMC) · Day
Wind
Calm
Visibility
2 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
300 ft overcast
Temperature
36 °F, dew point 34 °F
Altimeter
29.54 inHg
Observed at
MSS, 16 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.