Beechcraft A200 N30W

Summary

On 25 September 2008 at about 21:15 local time, a Beechcraft A200 registered N30W, operated by Dynamic Aviation Group Inc., was involved in an accident near Bridgewater, Virginia, 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

25 September 2008 at 21:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Bridgewater, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Bridgewater Air Park (VBW)

Coordinates

38.3667, -78.9603

Aircraft

Beechcraft A200

Registration

N30W

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Dynamic Aviation Group Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Flight Test

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bridgewater → Bridgewater

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC08LA323

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's decision to land with a tailwind on a short, wet runway, resulting in landing long and runway overrun. Contributing to the accident was the operator’s lack of standard operating procedures for test flights.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot, an employee of the United States Department of Interior (DOI), was conducting a post-maintenance test flight of the airplane, which was on long term lease to the DOI. For the flight, despite the presence of drizzle, a tailwind, and obstacles, the pilot elected to use a down-sloping, non-grooved runway with a 41:1 approach slope and a displaced threshold, with an available landing length of 2,377 feet. The pilot executed a go-around after touchdown on his first landing attempt, stating that something did not feel right with the landing. The pilot then attempted another landing, touching down approximately 700 feet down the runway before applying reverse thrust and brakes. Because the runway was wet, the braking action was poor and he realized that he was probably going to overrun the end of the runway. However, he elected not to go around due to the airplane’s low indicated airspeed, the configuration of the airplane, the remaining runway, the rising terrain, and the presence of houses. The airplane then rolled off the pavement on to grass, where the braking effectiveness was further reduced, before rolling down a steep embankment and into a river. The airplane sustained substantial damage to its wing structure during the accident sequence. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or abnormalities. Review of the DOI's National Business Center, Aviation Management Directorate's Operational Policy Memorandums (OPMs) did not reveal any guidance that pertained to test flights. Additionally, the "Aviation Management – Document Library Index"—which included the OPMs, information bulletins, handbooks, and reference guides—included no single operations manual containing all of the information for ready reference by the DOI's pilots, nor was a mandate discovered which would require them to have such information in their possession during flight operations.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.