No fatalities

Aircraft Overrun and Fire Following Tailwind Landing at New Castle (NC86512)

Wilmington-New Castle County, United States of AmericaLanding (descent or approach)

On October 12, 1946, a Lockheed L-049 Constellation (registration NC86512) operated by Trans World Airlines - TWA was involved in an aviation accident near Wilmington-New Castle County, United States of America during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's poor judgment in continuing an approach and attempting to land on a wet runway with a tailwind component exceeding 16 mph after passing over 2,100 feet of the runway surface. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-08-05Data APIEditorial standards

A crew of eight escaped unharmed after their aircraft overran a wet runway during a tailwind approach, struck vehicles, and burned to the ground.

What happened

The flight was operating a positioning mission to Wilmington-New Castle Airport for passenger pickup. During the approach phase, air traffic control advised the crew that weather conditions were deteriorating and recommended diverting to Philadelphia. Despite this advice, the pilot elected to continue the approach to Runway 14. Upon initial contact with the pavement, the pilot recognized an error in the landing technique and initiated a go-around maneuver. However, the aircraft had already passed over approximately 2,100 feet of the runway surface, leaving insufficient distance for deceleration or a successful takeoff. The plane continued beyond the end of the runway, breached the perimeter fence, crossed DuPont Parkway where it collided with two vehicles, and traveled roughly 650 feet before coming to rest in an open field. The airframe was subsequently destroyed by fire. All eight crew members evacuated the aircraft without sustaining injuries.

Findings

Investigation revealed that a line squall was approaching the airport at the time of arrival. Although the tower explicitly advised the captain to divert and noted a significant wind shift, the pilot chose to maintain the approach into the wind. Precipitation intensified from light drizzle to heavy showers during the final segment. At the moment of touchdown, the tailwind component along Runway 14 was measured at at least 16 mph. The aircraft failed to decelerate within the remaining 3,100 feet of usable runway length. The board concluded that the accident resulted from the pilot's decision to attempt a landing on a wet surface with a substantial tailwind after having already traversed a significant portion of the runway.

Probable cause

The pilot's poor judgment in continuing an approach and attempting to land on a wet runway with a tailwind component exceeding 16 mph after passing over 2,100 feet of the runway surface.