What happened
During a night approach to runway 01 under instrument meteorological conditions, an Saab aircraft operated by American Eagle Airlines was performing an ILS approach. The flight environment was characterized by drizzle, a wet runway surface, and gusty crosswinds from the right. While flying on autopilot, the captain disconnected the system at a radio altitude of approximately 132 feet.
Following the autopilot disconnection, the aircraft experienced increasing deviations from the glideslope and localizer. The flightcrew observed lateral oscillations in the aircraft's roll before touchdown. The aircraft crossed the runway threshold at an altitude of 35 feet and touched down 2,802 feet from the approach end of the 5,495-foot runway.
Upon landing, the aircraft traveled 2,693 feet during its ground roll. The aircraft overran the departure end of the runway and struck a drainage ditch located 175 feet beyond the pavement. There were 0 fatalities and no injuries reported in the accident.
Findings
Investigations determined that the primary cause was the pilot's failure to adhere to standard operating procedures for landing on a contaminated runway, specifically by touching down too far down the runway and delaying the application of braking.
Additional contributing factors included:
- The pilot's inability to maintain proper runway alignment after disconnecting the autopilot.
- Adverse weather conditions, including the wet runway and gusty crosswinds.
- The presence of an unfilled drainage ditch within the runway safety area (RSA).
- Regulatory issues regarding the airport's RSA length and the FAA's failure to address the inadequate safety area during inspections.