What happened
Piedmont Airlines Flight 467 was conducting an instrument landing system (ILS) approach to Runway 36R at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. At approximately 20:01 CDT, roughly seven minutes before the scheduled landing time, all arriving flights were advised of weather conditions that included a 400-foot overcast ceiling, two miles visibility, light rain, and fog. The wind was reported from 090 degrees at 8 knots. Runway 5/32 was out of service at the time.
The flight crew was vectored for right turns from the north and west to align with the final approach course. At 20:02:42, the air traffic control final controller informed another aircraft on the same frequency that there was a 20 to 25 knot right crosswind on final approach. When Flight 467 was cleared for landing at 20:05:36, the surface wind was reported from 100 degrees at 4 knots.
The aircraft was not configured for landing until just before touchdown. The first officer did not alert the captain of the deviation from the normal configuration. The aircraft landed approximately 3,200 feet past the runway threshold. The captain was unable to stop the aircraft on the wet runway. After departing the runway, the aircraft struck an ILS antenna and a culvert, then went through a fence before coming to a stop beside railroad tracks.
It was reported that the captain added 20 knots to the approach speed due to possible wind shear and delayed the deployment of spoilers after touchdown. There was evidence of hydroplaning and poor frictional quality on the last 1,500 feet of the runway. Three passengers received back injuries; both pilots and one flight attendant had minor injuries.
The investigation
The investigation examined the aircraft's configuration and the crew's actions during the final phase of the approach. Evidence indicated that the aircraft was not properly configured for landing until just before touchdown. The first officer failed to alert the captain of this deviation. The captain reportedly added 20 knots to the approach speed for possible wind shear and delayed spoiler deployment after touchdown.
Findings
Contributing factors included the poor frictional quality on the last 1,500 feet of the runway and evidence of hydroplaning. The weather conditions, including light rain and fog, combined with the late configuration of the aircraft, led to the overrun. The captain's decision to delay spoiler deployment also played a role in the inability to stop within the available distance.