North American T-39A N39FS

Summary

On 17 October 2005 at about 22:44 local time, a North American T-39A registered N39FS was involved in an accident near Mojave, California, 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

17 October 2005 at 22:44

Classification

Accident

Location

Mojave, California, United States

Nearest airport

Mojave (MHV)

Coordinates

35.0592, -118.1517

Aircraft

North American T-39A

Registration

N39FS

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Flight Test

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Mojave → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX06LA017

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the landing roll. A wet runway surface was a factor.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Prior to departure, the pilot and copilot calculated takeoff and landing distances for a wet runway. The T39A departed for a test flight, but returned after a short time due to rain showers in the area. The landing runway was still wet from a previous rain shower. The crew selected an approach flap setting and crossed the runway threshold at 125 knots. The captain reported the touchdown was just past the runway numbers, and the crew experienced normal braking action until around the 3,000-foot remaining point. At that point, the braking "seemed ineffective." The flight crew selected antiskid off and normal braking was attempted with limited effect. The captain elected not to abort the landing due to the limited remaining runway and the time needed to spool up the engines. The copilot was calling out speeds and distance remaining, and the captain remembered the airspeed was 60 knots with 2,000 feet of runway remaining. The copilot called "nose wheel steering" a couple seconds later but the steering had little effect on the aircraft. He reported that the braking "became nil" as the aircraft slowed to about 30 knots. The airplane drifted to the right side of the runway and departed the runway surface. The landing gear dug into the soft ground, with the nose gear collapsing aft and the right main gear folding inward. No mechanical failures or malfunctions were found during post accident aircraft inspections.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.