Cessna 337 Accident at Branson MO

[GAHorn]

The NTSB Preliminary Report regarding the Cessna 337 that ran off the end of the runway on the first day of convention:

NTSB Identification: DEN08LA121
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, July 06, 2008 in Point Lookout, MO
Aircraft: Cessna 337, registration: N53661
Injuries: 2 Minor, 2 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On July 6, 2008, approximately 1145 central daylight time (CDT), a Cessna 337, N53661, impacted terrain during off from the Taney County Airport, Point Lookout, MO. The private pilot and one passenger received minor injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.

The pilot stated his preflight, engine run-up, and magneto check were normal. As the airplane rotated for takeoff and the main landing gear lifted off the runway, the front engine lost power. The pilot lowered the nose and put the airplane back down on the runway aborting the takeoff. He ensured both engines were shut down and applied maximum braking to stop the airplane. The pilot was unable to stop the airplane before the end of the runway, and the airplane went over a steep, rocky embankment.

An on-scene examination of the airplane revealed the left wing spar was bent upward.

Ironically, a similar, fatal accident occured at the same airport a couple years previously:

NTSB Identification: CHI04FA205.
The docket is stored in the Docket Management System (DMS). Please contact Records Management Division
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, August 02, 2004 in Point Lookout, MO
Probable Cause Approval Date: 7/7/2005
Aircraft: Piper PA-32-300, registration: N4230R
Injuries: 5 Fatal.
The airplane was destroyed during a post-impact fire after it overran the end of the runway on departure. A witness to the accident reported that he heard the accident airplane on the runway "with the engine wide open." He reported that when he first saw the aircraft it was airborne and initially thought it was landing. He noted that it touched back down on the runway. He stated the "engine [was] making a lot of power" when he heard the tires begin to skid. He reported: "I saw the airplane swerve on the runway and heard the skid of tires. I then observed what appeared to be a Piper Cherokee Six turn to the right and skid off the right end of runway 11 and sink into the trees and ditch by highway 65." He estimated the aircraft's speed as 55 miles per hour at this time. A second witness stated that he saw the airplane "losing control." He reported that smoke was coming from the tires, with a "screeching sound also, like the brakes were locked up." He noted that a couple seconds later the braking stopped and "immediately there was a skidding noise like metal on the pavement. The plane then started to lean or tilt towards my direction. There was a little bounce [and] skip [and] the plane went over the end into the trees." The aircraft came to rest in a ravine, approximately 215 feet from the end of the runway. The accident site was approximately 47 feet below the runway elevation. Tire skid marks were visible beginning 929 feet from the end of the runway. The initial mark was located near the runway centerline. The marks proceeded toward the right side of the runway, eventually departing the pavement about 331 feet from the embankment at the end of the runway. After the point where the marks departed the right edge of the runway pavement, a pair of ruts was observed in the grass to the taxiway apron adjacent to the runway. Skid marks crossed the apron and continued as ruts in the gravel area between the end of the taxiway pavement and the embankment. A post-accident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies associated with a pre-impact failure.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

The pilot's failure attain adequate flying speed and his delay in aborting the takeoff which resulted in premature liftoff and an overrun of the runway. Contributing factors were the descending embankment, trees and ravine.

And then yet again, a couple years previous to that:

NTSB Identification: CHI03LA123.
The docket is stored in the Docket Management System (DMS). Please contact Records Management Division
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, May 10, 2003 in Point Lookout, MO
Probable Cause Approval Date: 11/25/2003
Aircraft: Beech 95-C55, registration: N541U
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
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.



The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

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.

Seems to me that airport needs a barrier and/or a "runaway truck" sandpit.