Accident Overview
A Part 121 scheduled domestic passenger flight experienced a runway excursion during landing at its destination airport. The aircraft veered off the left side of runway 1L after touchdown, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane.
Flight Details
The flight originated from LaGuardia International Airport and was en route to Milwaukee International Airport (MKE). During climbout through Flight Level 20 (20,000 feet), the No. 1 Hydraulic Low Pressure caution light illuminated. The flight crew consulted the Quick Reference Handbook (QRH) checklist for the caution message. The QRH procedures instructed the crew to "Land at the nearest suitable airport." The captain informed the airline's maintenance control about the caution message but did not inform flight dispatch about the caution message or the need to land at the nearest suitable airport. The flight continued to its destination airport.
Landing and Runway Excursion
The flight was cleared to land on runway 1L. The winds were 290 degrees at 10 knots. The captain reported that the landing was normal until the airplane started to veer off the left side of the runway. According to the NTSB Aircraft Performance Study, the airplane approached runway 1L crossing the threshold at about 2302:16 at a recorded radio altitude of about 50 feet above ground level, with an indicated airspeed of 139 knots (about 136 knots ground speed) and a pitch angle of about 4 degrees nose down. The airplane began to drift right of centerline by about 20 feet, and touchdown occurred at a calculated distance of 2,400 feet beyond the runway threshold in a crab angle of about 5 degrees nose left relative to the ground track, and at a roll angle of about 1 degree left bank angle. The lateral load at touchdown was recorded at -0.2 G's. After touchdown, the airplane's ground track continued to drift right of centerline about 25 feet while the airplane nose remained to the left of the ground track. The airplane's ground track then began to turn left and departed off the side of the runway (veered off the runway) at about 2302:37 and approximately 4,200 feet beyond the threshold. The longitudinal acceleration from point of touchdown to when it veered off the runway was recorded between -0.12 and -0.15 G's.
Post-Accident Inspection
The post-accident inspection of the airplane revealed no preexisting anomalies, other than the loss of the No. 1 Hydraulic system, which resulted in the loss of ground spoilers.
Airport Operations
An investigation of airport operations revealed that airport operations did not inspect Runway 1L/19R after a pilot report (PIREP) of NIL braking action by a Beech Jet at 2018. Airport operations did not conduct or provide friction measurement reports and Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) for Runway 1L/19R between March 10 at 1925 and the time of the accident on March 11 at 2302, when airport conditions were changing with significant snowfall accumulations. The airport did not conduct a runway inspection or friction report of Runway 1L/19R after the airplane veered off the runway.