On August 8, 1983, a Beech A36 (registration N23581) was involved in an aviation accident near Marine City, MI. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control and ensure adequate stopping distance during a landing in crosswind conditions with no windsock data or radio communication available. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An aircraft landed on a runway with damaged windsocks and no radio contact, resulting in the plane overrunning the paved surface due to crosswind conditions.
What happened
The aircraft arrived at the airport during landing operations. The pilot attempted to obtain current wind information by contacting the UNICOM frequency but received no response. Unable to get a radio report, the pilot visually assessed the wind direction using smoke drift and determined that the wind was coming from the south. Consequently, the pilot elected to land toward the north end of the runway.
The aircraft touched down approximately halfway down the available runway length. However, due to the crosswind conditions and potentially reduced braking effectiveness or control authority, the aircraft failed to stop within the paved surface. It continued its forward momentum past the threshold and ran off the end of the runway.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control and ensure adequate stopping distance during a landing in crosswind conditions with no windsock data or radio communication available.