Beech 95-B55 N81AB Runway Excursion at San Vincenzo

Event Overview On 13 November 2010 at 15:25 UTC, a Beech 95-B55 registered N81AB was involved in an accident at the “Il Gabbiano” aviosuperficie near San Vincenzo (LI), Italy. The aircraft was on a recreational flight and carried three people: the pilot and two passengers. The aircraft sustained heavy damage, but no injuries were reported and there were no other damages. ## Flight and Landing The aircraft departed Bresso Airport at 15:15 local time for the San Vincenzo aviosuperficie. The pilot selected runway 27 because it had no obstacles before the threshold, despite a light tailwind of about 5 knots. The runway was wet. The pilot reported a very low braking effect and, estimating insufficient runway remaining, turned the aircraft about 30 degrees left about 100 m from the runway end to avoid a direct impact with a channel at the runway’s end. The aircraft left the runway laterally, crossed a drainage ditch bordering a cultivated field south of the runway, and the landing gear separated, damaging the propellers and lower fuselage. The aircraft stopped about 3 m beside the runway, and the occupants exited uninjured. ## Runway and Performance The aviosuperficie has a grass runway 09/27, 700 m long and 45 m wide, with a slope of about 0.7% (downhill for runway 27 landings). Runway 09 has an obstacle before the threshold, a railway power line at 13.7 m above sea level; runway 27 has no such obstacles. The estimated landing weight was about 4,400 lb (1,995 kg). The pilot reported a short pattern at 600 ft and a correct approach speed, which increased by about 8 mph to land at the threshold, causing a brief float. Witnesses estimated touchdown 200–250 m from the threshold and an overflight of runway 27 at about 30–35 ft. Performance tables indicated a required landing distance of about 470 m, which would have been sufficient, but did not account for the slight downhill slope, wet grass, and the displaced touchdown point, leaving insufficient runway for a full stop.