NYC95LA111

The airplane landed on a wet, narrow 2500-FT runway. When the pilot applied the brakes, the airplane skidded, departed the runway, and struck a fence and pole. According to the pilot he immediately applied 'full brakes...but there was nil sensation of braking effect.' Witnesses said it was raining heavy, and the winds were gusting and changing direction. A witness said there were 'strong gusting winds that would be a tailwind for landing on runway 12.' Another witness saw the airplane on final, and '...it was lined up for runway 12, appeared to be high on the approach and fast...[and] appeared to be in a crab....' The nearest reported weather was at baltimore, about 14 NM north of the accident site. The 1805 observation was 1,700 broken, 12,000 overcast, visibility 7 miles, thunderstorms and light rain, wind 260 deg at 9 knots, gusting to 21.

On May 17, 1995, about 1815 eastern daylight time, a Rockwell 112B, N1409J, was substantially damaged when it collided with a fence during the landing roll at Lee Airport, Edgewater, Maryland. The airline transport pilot and one passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an IFR flight plan had been filed. The personal flight departed Chesapeake, Virginia at 1645, and was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

The airplane landed on runway 12 (2500 feet long and 45 feet wide). The runway was wet, and when the pilot applied the brakes, the airplane skidded, departed the runway, struck a fence, and a pole.

The pilot stated that he had departed a day earlier, "...so as not to rush and avoid bad forecasted weather." He filed an IFR flight plan with Leesburg Flight Service Station (FSS), and received a full weather briefing. He wrote, "...FSS commented weather was not unfolding as badly as predicted." En route at 7000 feet mean sea level (MSL), the pilot stated he was "in and out of the clouds [and] noticed strong winds from the west...."

According to the pilot's statement on the NTSB Form 6120.1/2:

...on let down...altitude 2500 feet and vectors to Lee, controller said he had no landing weather at Lee, but that his radar did show some rain over the field when we were about 15 miles out. He also said there was a convective SIGMET to the north closer to Baltimore...we had good visual contact with [the] ground at 2500 feet. and 3 miles visibility, so we proceeded to the field to checkout the field (winds, aircraft on runway etc.). We had good visual contact with the field. The rain was aligned to the runway but to the north of the field, south of the field it was clear with no rain and even the sun breaking out in [the] distance about 25-30 miles estimate. We made three calls on Lee UNICOM 122.4 for advisories but got no reply.

The pilot cancelled his IFR flight plan and elected to approach the airport from the south and land on runway 12. According to the pilot he "calculated about 22 knots [wind] from the southeast." According to the pilot's statement:

...we then departed the field to the south to stay in the clear...we made another advisory call in the blind that we were approaching from the south...we rolled onto final on centerline and on VASI glideslope and experienced light rain, but no wind gusts air smooth. We touched down at displaced threshold at approximately 60 knots to 65 knots...told my son to raise the flaps to put more weight on the wheels for braking and directional control. I immediately applied full brakes...but there was nil sensation of braking effect. I then attempted to pump the brakes as in a manual anti-skid procedure and was as though we were skidding on ice. When I realized stopping on the runway was impossible, I put in full left rudder to avoid a building structure on the right at the end of the runway...we slid off the runway penetrated a cyclone fence and two poles at the end the end of the airport fence line, struck evergreen shrubs and one 4x4 posted sign...port [left] wing tip hit the upcoming bank building...turned 90 degrees or perpendicular to the building and came to a stop nose down....

The FAA inspector wrote:

He [pilot] felt there were no conditions at any point in the approach and landing that he could not handle or would exceed the limitations of the aircraft. He said he had done this type of landing before in...military aircraft and this landing wasn't any different in his view.

The FAA asked the pilot about wind shifts or possible tail winds, and the pilot responded, "he did not feel any."

Witnesses that either saw the landing or the approach said at the time of the accident it was raining "heavy." The witnesses told the FAA the winds were gusting and changing direction. A witnesses told the FAA she saw the landing, and there were "strong gusting winds that would be a tail wind for landing on Runway 12..." One of the witnesses, an airline captain, saw the airplane on final approach. He wrote, "...it was lined up for runway 12, appeared to be high on the approach and fast...[and] appeared to be in a crab...."

The nearest reported weather was at Baltimore (BWI) located about 14 nautical miles north of the accident site. The BWI 1805 weather observation was; 1700 broken, 12,000 overcast, visibility 7 miles, thunderstorms and light rain, temperature missing, dew point missing, wind 260 degrees, 9 knots, gusts to 21, altimeter 29.64 inches Hg.