Aviation Accident Summaries

Aviation Accident Summary ERA20CA113

Farmingdale, NJ, USA

Aircraft #1

N135LR

Learjet 55

Analysis

The pilot reported that he and the copilot were conducting an instrument approach to the runway in a business jet. He noted that the weather conditions included fog and mist. After touching down about 1,500 ft down the 7,300-ft-long runway, he engaged the thrust reversers and applied the brakes gradually because the runway was "slippery." As the airplane approached the end of the runway, he applied full braking, but the airplane departed the end of the runway and impacted a ditch, which resulted in the forward landing gear breaking and the airplane nosing down. The copilot corroborated the pilot's statement. The fuselage was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Factual Information

At the conclusion of an uneventful on-demand, instrument flight rules flight at night, the flight crew of the business jet conducted an instrument approach to a runway that was about 7,300 feet long. The crew noted that the weather conditions during the approach included fog and mist, and after touching down about 1,500 feet from the runway threshold, they applied the brakes and thrust reversers gradually due to the "slippery" condition of the runway. As the airplane approached the end of the runway, the crew applied full braking, but the airplane departed the end of the runway and came to rest on the side of an embankment. During the runway overrun the fuselage was substantially damaged. The flight crew reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Probable Cause and Findings

The flight crew's failure to stop the airplane on the available runway, which was wet and resulted in the airplane impacting a ditch.

 

Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database

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