Cessna 441 N441CX

Summary

On 3 January 2005 at about 17:10 local time, a Cessna 441 registered N441CX was involved in an accident near Thermal, California, United States. 5 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

3 January 2005 at 17:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Thermal, California, United States

Nearest airport

Jacqueline Cochran Regional (TRM)

Coordinates

33.6267, -116.1597

Aircraft

Cessna 441

Registration

N441CX

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Grand Juncition → Thermal

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX05CA059

Nobody was injured.

the pilot's misjudged speed and distance, which resulted in a failure to attain the proper touchdown point and a subsequent overrun of the runway. A factor in the accident was limited braking effectiveness resulting from the wet runway condition.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane encountered muddy terrain and collapsed the nose landing gear during a landing overrun. The pilot reported that as he approached his destination he prepared for an instrument approach to the airport. The pilot descended via the approach to an altitude of about 800 feet, at which point he was able to identify the runway environment and transition to a visual approach. Throughout the approach, the pilot reported encountering moderate rain and restricted visibility. The airplane's speed during the approach was about 120 knots, varying slightly with configuration changes required during descents and transitions to level flight. During landing, the airplane touched down hard, about halfway down the 4,995-foot-long runway, and bounced twice. The pilot reported that once established in the landing rollout, he applied full brakes and configured the propellers in full reverse thrust, attempting to stop before the end of the runway. The pilot said that although the runway was absent of noticeable standing water, the moderate rain and wet conditions hindered braking effectiveness. The airplane continued off the runway and impacted terrain resulting in the collapse of the nose gear. The pilot was unable to remember the speed at which the airplane touched, but opined that it was about 100 knots, the normal touchdown speed for the airplane. The Airplane Flying Handbook states that "hydroplaning can have serious adverse effects on ground controllability and braking efficiency" and recommends that "touchdown speed should be as slow as possible consistent with safety."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.