Accident Details
On April 8, 2011, at 1730 central daylight time, a Rockwell International 500-S, registration N51RF, sustained substantial damage during the landing roll at Flying Cloud Airport (FCM) in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The airplane veered off the left side of runway 10R, which measures 5,000 feet by 100 feet and is asphalt. The right main landing gear collapsed and the right wingtip struck the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and wing. The commercial pilot and airline transport co-pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
Flight History
The airplane departed FCM at 1500 on a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight and had filed a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported executing a stabilized visual approach with the airplane properly configured for landing. The airplane touched down on the runway centerline but subsequently drifted to the right, then "immediately went hard left." Both pilot and co-pilot attempted to maintain directional control and keep the airplane on the centerline, but the airplane veered off the left side of the runway. The airplane skidded to a complete stop. Following the excursion, the right main landing gear collapsed and the right wingtip contacted the ground.
Postaccident Inspection
A postaccident inspection of the airplane revealed no pre-impact anomalies. The pilot reported that there was no mechanical malfunction or failure.
Weather Conditions
At 1653, the surface weather observation at FCM recorded wind from 170 degrees at 24 knots, visibility 10 miles, overcast ceiling at 5,500 feet, temperature 16 degrees Celsius, dew point 6 degrees Celsius, and altimeter setting 29.90 inches of mercury.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was registered to and operated by the Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as a public aircraft. As a public aircraft, it is not subject to many Federal Aviation Regulations, with exceptions for airspace use, air traffic control, and aircraft registration. However, per NOAA policy, the aircraft was required to be operated and maintained in accordance with all pertinent regulations issued by the FAA, Department of Defense, and NOAA Aircraft Operations Center unless a deviation was approved by the Commanding Officer of the AOC.