Cessna 500 N234UM

Summary

On 26 February 2001 at about 15:30 local time, a Cessna 500 registered N234UM was involved in an accident near Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, United States. 4 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 February 2001 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Sanderson Fiels (ANJ)

Coordinates

46.4791, -84.3601

Aircraft

Cessna 500

Registration

N234UM

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ypsilanti → Sault Ste Marie

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI01LA094

Nobody was injured.

The pilot exceeding the available runway distance during landing and the pilot's delay in executing a go-around. Factors relating to the accident were, the pilots improper in-flight planning/decision, the pilot disregarding the NOTAMS for the airport, the pilot failing to properly consider the warning given by the Unicom operator regarding the icy runway and nil braking action, the icy runway, and the drop-off/descending embankment.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The captain said that he flew the VOR approach to runway 32. At 2,500 feet, the captain said that they were out of the clouds and initiated a visual straight-in approach. After aligning the airplane with the runway, the captain said he noticed that there was contamination on the runway, "maybe compacted snow or maybe ice with fresh snow over it." The captain briefed that they would perform a go-around if by midfield they were not decelerating adequately. The captain said that they touched down within the first third of the runway. Close to midfield the airplane fishtailed. Past midfield, the captain called a go-around. The first officer said that the captain added power and he retracted the airbrakes. The first officer exclaimed, "There is not enough runway! I braced myself as the aircraft went into the snow." The first officer said that at about 2 miles out from the runway, the unicom called and said that braking action was nil. A Notice to Airman, in effect at the time of the accident for the airport stated, "icy runway, nil braking."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.