NYC95LA187

The pilot noticed the weather on his route of flight was deteriorating. He elected to land and wait for the weather to improve. The pilot stated, '...upon reaching the airport bounds I encountered extremely heavy rain and moderate to severe turbulence...my forward visibility was zero.' The pilot reported he landed on the first third of the runway length, but was unable to stop due to hydroplaning, and the aircraft overran the runway. According to an FAA inspector, the pilot landed in heavy rain at higher than recommended speed and about half way down the runway, which had standing water. The aircraft collided with trees and a fence. Before takeoff, the pilot received weather information from a Flight Service Station, and was advised of possible heavy rain and thunderstorms.

On August 12, 1995, about 1950 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180, N8252W, was substantially damaged during the landing roll, at the Norfolk Airport (MA07), Norfolk, Massachusetts. The private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the flight, which departed Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, approximately 1835. The personal flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

While in cruise flight, en route to Fitchburg, Massachusetts, the pilot observed the weather on his route of flight was deteriorating. He elected to land at MA07 and wait for the weather to improve. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 36 (2,700 feet long and 40 feet wide), departed the end of the runway, striking trees and a fence.

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

...I observed the weather becoming threatening, I therefore opted to make a precautionary landing at Norfolk Airport. At one mile south of the airport I performed a 360 degree descending turn to reach traffic pattern altitude...upon reaching the airport bounds I encountered extremely heavy rain and moderate to severe turbulence...my forward visibility was zero. The aircraft touched down within the first third of the runway. When I applied the aircraft's brakes the aircraft hydroplaned due to standing water on the runway. Because of the zero visibility I was unable to determine how soon the end of the runway was coming up...the aircraft could not be stopped, the airplane came to rest to the right hand side of the extended runway center line. I estimated the impact [speed] of the aircraft to be approximately 30 mph....

According to the FAA Inspector's statement, the pilot had "encountered heavy rain and reduced visibility." Upon touchdown at Norfolk the pilot "was unable to bring the aircraft to a full stop" before departing the end of the runway and striking trees and a chain-link fence. The FAA Inspector stated:

...[the pilot] attempted to land the aircraft at a speed greater than is recommended for landing that aircraft, and touched-down approximately half way down the runway in heavy rain and standing water on the runway...[the pilot] had never landed at the Norfolk Airport prior to the accident and was unfamiliar with the airport environment, lighting and the length of the runway.

Prior to departure, the pilot received a weather briefing from the Bridgeport Flight Service Station, and had been advised of possible heavy rain and thunderstorms. According to the pilot, on August 12, 1995, he obtained weather information twice. The first time was at 1530, "through Duats" (Direct User Access System). The second time was at 1710, from Bridgeport Flight Service Station. The pilot stated, "the only convective activity reported by Bridgeport was located in Western Connecticut."

The pilot reported that the local weather was; 3,000 scattered, 10,000 broken, visibility 10 miles, heavy rain, temperature 84 degrees F, dew point missing, wind 360 degrees, 10 knots, gusts 25, altimeter 29.96 inches Hg.

At the time of the accident, the pilot had 758.6 total flight hours, and 271.8 flight hours in this make and model airplane.