1997-09 · NASA ASRS report 379865
PLT OF C182 MAKING APCH AND LNDG AT UNFAMILIAR ARPT LANDS LONG AND RUNS OFF THE END OF RWY. AN OBSERVER INDICATES THAT THE WINDSOCK HAD WHIPPED AROUND WITH AN INDICATION OF A 10 KT TAILWIND.
I WAS COMPLETING A VFR XCOUNTRY FLT FROM CDW; NJ; DIRECT 4B9; CT; IN MY C182. THE PAX WERE MY WIFE AND 1 YR OLD SON. WHILE I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH CDW; IT WAS MY FIRST FLT INTO 4B9. THE DAY PRIOR TO THE FLT I CALLED BOTH THE FIELD'S FBO AND ANOTHER FBO IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET FURTHER INFO CONCERNING THE FIELD -- BOTH CALLS REACHED ONLY ANSWERING MACHINES. CDW IS A TWRED FIELD WITHIN A CLASS D AIRSPACE; 4B9 IS NON TWRED WITHIN A 3/4 CIRCLE CUTOUT OF THE WINDSOR LOCKS CLASS C AIRSPACE. WX PLANNING CONSISTED OF MY NORMAL EARLY MORNING CALL TO THE MILLVILLE AFSS WHERE I RECEIVED A RECORDED BRIEFING AND A SECOND CALL FROM CDW WHERE I RECEIVED A STANDARD BRIEFING. WX CONDITIONS FOR THE FLT WERE UNREMARKABLE. I DID NOT FILE A FLT PLAN NOR DID I CONTACT ATC FOR ENRTE SVCS; THOUGH I MADE 3 UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS (AT 20 MI; 10 MI; AND 5 MI) TO CONTACT 4B9 FOR AN ARPT ADVISORY. THERE WERE NO OTHER ACFT IN THE PATTERN. WIND CONDITIONS AT 4B9 WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE WITH NO SOCK MOVEMENT OR EXTENSION APPARENT DURING THE DOWNWIND LEG OF THE PATTERN. AS I TURNED BASE TO FINAL FOR RWY 3 I SAW A SMALL HILL OFF THE APCH END OF THE RWY AND DECIDED TO REMAIN SOMEWHAT HIGH ON FINAL AND DROP IN AFTER CLRING THE HILL. MY SPD DURING FINAL WAVERED BTWN 70-75 KTS; I USED FULL (40 DEG) FLAPS ONCE CLR OF THE HILL. I NOTICED THAT MY GND SPD SEEMED TOO HIGH COMPARED TO WHAT I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED GIVEN A NORMAL APCH BUT I DID NOT REACT QUICKLY ENOUGH WHILE STILL IN THE AIR AND I TOUCHED DOWN APPROX 1/2 WAY DOWN THE RWY. THE MOTOR WAS AT IDLE. ONCE DOWN I BRIEFLY CONTEMPLATED LIFTING OFF AGAIN BUT DECIDED INSTEAD TO ATTEMPT STOPPING IN THE REMAINING DISTANCE. IT SHORTLY BECAME APPARENT THAT STOPPING WAS NOT GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND I CALLED FOR MY WIFE TO BRACE. BEYOND THE END OF THE RWY IS A SHORT WOODEN FENCE; AN ANGLED 2 LANE ROAD AND ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE ROAD A DENSE HEDGE ROW ATOP A BERM. I DO NOT RECALL SEEING THE FENCE; BUT DO RECALL THINKING THAT THE HEDGE WAS SOLID AND HAD TO BE AVOIDED. I STEERED THE ACFT TO THE R; GOING THROUGH THE FENCE AND STOPPING ON THE ROAD. I DO NOT RECALL IF THE PROP WAS STILL TURNING. I TURNED OFF THE FUEL; IGNITION; AND MASTER SWITCH AND THEN EXITED THE ACFT. MY WIFE UNSTRAPPED OUR SON FROM HIS CAR SEAT AND HANDED HIM TO ME; SHE WAS ABLE TO EXIT WITHOUT ASSISTANCE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES; OUR SON WASN'T EVEN CRYING. WE WERE ABLE; WITH ASSISTANCE; TO PUSH THE PLANE BACK TO THE FBO. DAMAGE CONSISTS OF: BENT COWLING AND EXHAUST STACK; DESTROYED PROP HUB; BENT FRONT FORK; AND DENTS TO THE LNDG GEAR FAIRING. THERE WAS NO FURTHER UNDERCARRIAGE OR FIREWALL DAMAGE. DUE TO THE HUB DAMAGE WE ARE TREATING THE MOTOR AS HAVING EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN STOPPAGE. AFTERWARDS THE ARPT MGR; WHO IS A PVT PLT WITH AN INST RATING; MENTIONED THAT DURING MY FINAL APCH HE OBSERVED THE WINDSOCK WHIP AROUND AND INDICATE A 10 KT TAILWIND.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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