What happened
During a night operation conducted under a special ferry permit, an aircraft (operating with one engine non-functional) was being repositioned to Ardmore Airport. Upon landing on a runway surface that was wet from recent heavy rainfall, the flight crew encountered significant challenges in decelerating the plane within the available runway length. The aircraft subsequently overran the paved surface and came to a stop in a nearby ditch.
Despite the impact, all three crew members were able to evacuate the wreckage without injury. While there were no fatalities, the aircraft sustained damage that rendered it a total loss.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several contributing elements related to the environmental conditions and flight execution. The primary factor was hydroplaning on the saturated runway surface. Several secondary factors were noted during the analysis:
- An approach that was inadequately planned
- Improper use or failure to deploy flaps
- Inability of the engine thrust to provide effective reverse thrust
- Low cloud ceilings and heavy rain accumulation
- Reduced visibility caused by a contaminated windshield