Incident Overview
During a low-level route, one of the engines on the left side of the aircraft malfunctioned, became uncontrollable, and was shut down. Hours later, while on final approach to Griffiss in a driving rainstorm at night, the copilot followed the checklist and turned on the starter switches for all engines, including the one that had been shut down. The shutdown engine, which was windmilling during the descent, reignited and began to increase to maximum power. The pilots were unaware of this development.
Sequence of Events
As the aircraft flared out over the runway, with the errant engine heading toward maximum power and the landing gear barely touching the ground, the aircraft was unable to slow down sufficiently to engage the brakes. The drag chute was released but failed to deploy. Unable to stop, the pilot elected to go-around and increased power. However, he then determined that there was insufficient runway remaining and cut back the power, announcing to the crew that they would go off the end of the runway.
Impact and Aftermath
The impact resulted in the aircraft breaking in half just behind the crew compartment and skidding down an embankment. The outboard runaway engine was still running as the landing gear and AGM-28 missiles were sheared off. A Boeing representative stated that most likely the only reason the aircraft did not explode on impact was due to the mud caused by the heavy rain. All crew members survived.
Probable Cause
The official cause of the accident was listed as hydroplaning.