BEECH DEBONAIR ATTEMPTING LNDG AT NIGHT HITS A 1 FT HIGH BERM LEFTOVER FROM RWY GRADING AS PCL GOES OFF WHEN ACFT 200 FT ALT.

Date: 1997-09 · Aircraft: Bonanza 33

Anomalies: conflict-ground-conflict|critical|other-unspecified

Synopsis

BEECH DEBONAIR ATTEMPTING LNDG AT NIGHT HITS A 1 FT HIGH BERM LEFTOVER FROM RWY GRADING AS PCL GOES OFF WHEN ACFT 200 FT ALT.

Narrative

RETURNING FROM PLEASURE FLT APPROX XA45; BYRON ARPT; RWY 23. WINDS APPROX 12-15 KTS; GUSTING TO APPROX 20 KTS. VFR PLT CTLED LIGHTING. RWY LIGHTS ON. L DOWNWIND; BASE; FINAL. SPD APPROX 80 KTS SHORT FINAL; RWY LIGHTS WENT OFF. LOST HORIZ REF. APPROX ALT 200 FT. FIELD ELEVATION 76 FT. EVENTS HAPPENED QUICKLY; LANDED. I WAS ROLLING ON TAXI OK. THOUGHT I HAD LANDED ON OVERRUN; KEEPING PLANE IN STRAIGHT ALIGNMENT. SUDDENLY; UNEXPECTEDLY; HIT SOMETHING. HAVE A SENSATION OF BEING LAUNCHED AIRBORNE; SETTLED NOSE DOWN IN SOFT DIRT. INVESTIGATION SHOWED THERE WAS AN APPROX 1 FT HIGH DIRT BERM LEFT OVER FROM RWY GRADING. NOSEWHEEL HIT THAT THEN SHEARED OFF. IF BERM HAD BEEN SMOOTHED OUT; I WOULD HAVE CONTINUED TO TAXI ONTO OVERRUN WITHOUT INCIDENT. CAN BERM BE GRADED? PERHAPS PREVENT; FUTURE POSSIBLE MISHAP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE DAMAGE TO THE ACFT WAS THE NOSEWHEEL AND THE PROP. THE ENG IS STILL BEING CHKED TO SEE IF ANY DAMAGE RESULTED. THE ARPT MGR KNOWS OF THE SIT AND THE FAA SPOKE WITH HIM ABOUT IT. THIS BERM IS JUST A LEFTOVER FROM CONSTRUCTION THAT OCCURRED SOME TIME AGO. HAD THAT NOT BEEN PRESENT THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO PROB. RPTR INDICATED IT WOULD TAKE VERY LITTLE TO SMOOTH IT OUT. A SMALL TRACTOR COULD DO THE JOB AND PREVENT ANOTHER INCIDENT.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.