Beechcraft 95-C55 N541U

Summary

On 10 May 2003 at about 22:00 local time, a Beechcraft 95-C55 registered N541U was involved in an accident near Point Lookout, Missouri, United States. 2 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

10 May 2003 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Point Lookout, Missouri, United States

Nearest airport

M Graham Clark (PLK)

Coordinates

36.6258, -93.2289

Aircraft

Beechcraft 95-C55

Registration

N541U

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hot Springs → Point Lookout

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI03LA123

Nobody was injured.

Failure of the pilot to maintain control of the aircraft. Contributing factors were the sudden windshift to a tailwind, the wet runway surface, the lack of available runway overrun area and the rocky, descending embankment.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The aircraft was substantially damaged when it overran the runway after landing and slid down an embankment. The pilot reported he executed an instrument approach to the destination airport. Upon arrival he noted that it had been raining and the runway was wet. He stated that the wind conditions were gusty and the prevailing wind direction reversed to a tailwind as the aircraft touched down. He applied maximum braking, however, "the plane began to hydroplane," according to the pilot. An on-scene inspection determined that the aircraft came to rest off the end of the runway. Approximately 15 feet from the end of the pavement was an embankment, with a drop-off of approximately 75 feet at a slope of approximately 45 degrees (downhill). No skid marks were observed in the area of the departure end of the runway. The pilot reported conditions at the time of the accident as wind from 180 degrees magnetic at 20 knots, gusting to 25 knots. He noted moderate turbulence and no precipitation at the time. Performance data provided by the aircraft manufacturer specified a required landing distance of approximately 1,750 feet at a landing weight of 5,000 lbs. and a 10 knot tailwind. This data is applicable to a dry, paved, level surface, according to the chart. The pilot reported no malfunctions of the aircraft or engines prior to the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.