Accident Sequence
During the landing rollout, the accident airplane passed behind an MD-11 that had begun moving forward slowly. The accident airplane then nosed over onto its back and came to rest inverted.
The accident pilot had diverted from his intended destination due to weather. Upon arrival at the accident airport, the local controller advised the pilot that he was number two for landing behind an MD-11. The controller instructed the pilot to perform two 360-degree turns on downwind for spacing and to land beyond the touchdown point of the MD-11.
On final approach, the local controller asked the accident pilot if he had observed where the MD-11 had touched down, which was at the 1,000-foot marker. The pilot indicated that he had and would plan his touchdown point beyond that.
After the MD-11 landed, it exited the runway at taxiway B-5 and held perpendicular to the runway awaiting ground control clearance, with the tail end of the airplane facing the runway. Tower personnel indicated that the accident airplane touched down at taxiway B-3, about 2,000 feet down the runway, beyond the MD-11's touchdown point. The MD-11 had started to move very slowly off the taxiway prior to the accident airplane passing behind it.
Tail Oscillations and Nose-Over
On the landing rollout, the tail of the accident airplane started to oscillate up and down after passing behind the tail end of the MD-11. The oscillations continued to increase, and on the third oscillation, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted.
Tower Observations and Runway Details
Tower personnel reported that the MD-11 was off the runway prior to the accident airplane being cleared to land, and there was no part of the MD-11 protruding over the runway during the landing rollout of the accident airplane. The accident airplane touched down near taxiway B3, about the 2,000-foot marker, and continued a long rollout towards taxiway B5 where the MD-11 had exited. The measured distance between taxiway B3 and taxiway B5 is 2,054 feet.
Performance Data
In the performance section of the Federal Aviation Administration approved flight manual, at standard sea level pressure and temperature, and 2,100 pounds gross weight, the airplane's landing ground rollout distance over a 50-foot obstacle should have been 445 feet. At a gross weight of 2,650 pounds, the landing ground rollout should have been 560 feet.