Beechcraft 400A N498CW

Summary

On 1 May 2002 at about 20:53 local time, a Beechcraft 400A registered N498CW, operated by Flight Options, Inc., was involved in an accident near Baltimore, Maryland, United States. 6 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

1 May 2002 at 20:53

Classification

Accident

Location

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Nearest airport

Baltimore Washington Intl (BWI)

Coordinates

39.1753, -76.6683

Aircraft

Beechcraft 400A

Registration

N498CW

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Flight Options, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Executive/Corporate

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Reading → Baltimore

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

IAD02FA047

Nobody was injured.

The captain's failure to go around. Factors included the captain's preoccupation with the flight management system, the crew's failure to adhere to company standard operating procedures, and the lack of proper crew coordination.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While on a visual approach, the captain had difficulty with the flight management system. He and the first officer exchanged words about it, and argued as to whether they were cleared for the approach. During that timeframe, with the airplane about 5 miles from the airport, 238 knots and 3,000 feet, the controller also asked the crew if they were "going to be able to get down, " to which the first officer responded, "ah, we're looking." About 30 seconds later, the first officer confirmed that the airport was in sight, and, "we'll be able to get down." After switching over to the tower frequency, the airplane was cleared to land, and about 20 seconds later, the first officer asked the captain, "You gonna be able to make it?" The captain did not respond, but 20 seconds later asked about the runway length, which the first officer gave him. The first officer then told the captain that the airplane was Vref plus forty, and twice said, "There's no way." He then said twice, "Go around." The airplane crossed the landing threshold about 150 feet agl, 166 knots, and the captain landed. The airplane subsequently overran the end of the runway, and went through some lights and antennas. A review of company standard operating procedures revealed that the crew missed numerous required callouts and checklist items, that the captain was trying to program the FMS when the first officer should have been doing it, that the captain should have initiated a go-around when advised that the airplane was not within the "visual approach window," and that after the captain did not respond to the first officer's calls, the first officer should have announced that he was assuming control, and "taken the necessary actions to return the aircraft to a safe flight condition."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.