Aerostar PA-60-601P N444TT

Summary

On 25 February 2011 at about 16:30 local time, a Aerostar PA-60-601P registered N444TT, operated by Bravo Aviation, LLC, was involved in an accident near Princeton, New Jersey, United States. One person was 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 February 2011 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Princeton, New Jersey, United States

Nearest airport

Princeton Airport (39N)

Coordinates

40.3989, -74.6589

Aircraft

Aerostar PA-60-601P

Registration

N444TT

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Bravo Aviation, LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hattiesburg → Princeton

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA11CA171

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to stop the airplane resulting in a runway overrun.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Before he arrived in the vicinity of the destination airport, the pilot checked the wind at a nearby airport which was reported to be at 20 knots with gusts to 25 knots. Additionally, the on-board global positioning system (GPS) receiver depicted the wind from 010 degrees at 12 knots. The pilot executed a GPS approach to runway 28; maintaining 120 knots with 20 degrees of flaps extended, and before landing noted the wind sock was not fully extended. He extended full flaps about 1 mile from the runway, and slowed to 100 knots, then crossed the threshold at 80 knots. The airplane touched down about 75 knots on the wet runway, and the pilot gently applied the brakes. He reported that he was unable to press the brakes hard as the airplane started hydroplaning approximately 1,000 feet before the end of the runway. Unable to stop, the airplane rolled past the departure end of the runway, where the nose landing gear traveled into a small depression causing it to twist. The forward pressure bulkhead was later found to be cracked. The pilot reported there was no mechanical failure or malfunction. The airport was equipped with an automated weather observing system (AWOS). A total of 12 observations were recorded for the approximate time of the accident. Review of the 12 observations indicated the wind was from 230 degrees at 8 knots with gusts to 18 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.