Runway excursion involving aircraft during snow conditions

No fatalities • Cleveland-Cuyahoga County, United States of America • Landing (descent or approach)

An aircraft overran the runway during a landing approach in snowy conditions, resulting in a nose gear collapse after exiting the paved surface.

What happened

During an approach to Runway 23 using the ILS, the flightcrew was operating in weather characterized by light snow, low visibility of 3/4 statute mile, and an overcast ceiling of 300 feet. Prior to the arrival, a preceding Hawker Jet had reported poor braking action on the runway, which was covered in a thin layer of snow. The pilot-in-imcommand had estimated that a dry runway would require 2,720 feet for a safe landing.

Upon touchdown, the aircraft had approximately 2,233 feet of the 5,101-foot runway remaining. The aircraft failed to stop within the available pavement, exiting the end of the runway and entering a grassy area. During the excursion, the nose landing gear assembly collapsed. There were 0 fatalities reported in this incident.

Findings

Investigation into the landing performance revealed that the estimated landing distance required for a dry runway under the prevailing conditions was approximately 2,750 feet, according to the aircraft's Pilot's Operating Manual. However, the crew lacked the necessary charts within the FAA-approved Airplane Flight Manual to calculate a revised landing distance for a contaminated runway.

At the time of the accident, wind conditions were recorded at 330 degrees with 12-knot sustained winds and gusts up to 22 knots. While regulations for transport category airplanes required landing distance determinations for level, smooth, dry, and hard-surfaced runways, there were no specific requirements for manufacturers to provide distance calculations for wet or contaminated surfaces.

Probable cause

The crew attempted to land on a contaminated runway without the necessary performance data to calculate the required stopping distance for snow-covered conditions.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 2002-02-10 Mitsubishi MU-300 Diamond accident near Cleveland-Cuyahoga County, United States of America?

An aircraft overran the runway during a landing approach in snowy conditions, resulting in a nose gear collapse after exiting the paved surface.

Were there any fatalities in the 2002-02-10 Mitsubishi MU-300 Diamond accident?

No fatalities were recorded in this accident.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 2002-02-10 involved a Mitsubishi MU-300 Diamond, registration N541CW, operated by Flight Options, at Cleveland-Cuyahoga County, United States of America.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The crew attempted to land on a contaminated runway without the necessary performance data to calculate the required stopping distance for snow-covered conditions.

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