With a crew of two and five passengers on board, a Cessna 550 Citation II departed Tampa International Airport (Florida, USA) bound for Manteo-Dare County Regional Airport (North Carolina, USA). The captain was the pilot flying (PF) while the co-pilot was the pilot monitoring (PM) for the flight. After an uneventful flight while approaching their destination the PM obtained the weather twice, both times the weather was worse than predicted.
The aircraft getting hooked up to a crane to lift it out of the water. (Source; baaa-acro.com © Unknown)
The PF stated they would fly one approach, and if it didn't look good they would divert to Elizabeth City Regional Airport (North Carolina, USA). The weather at the was as follows;
FLight conditions - IFR
Wind - 350º at 4 knots
Clouds - broken at 400 feet AGL
Temperature - 22ºC
Dew point - 21ºC
Visibility - 2 miles
Altimeter - 2963 inHg
The crew asked for a GPS approach to runway 5 but were cleared for a GPS approach to runway 23 followed by a circle to land on runway 5. Initially, the aircraft was fast on the approach and the PF had to slow the aircraft down to allow the PM to set the flaps to the approach setting. ~1 mile prior to the Initial Approach Fix the plane overshot a waypoint, but this was quickly corrected. When crossing the initial Approach Fix the aircraft was properly configured (Gear and Flaps down), on speed (Vref was 104 knots) and at the correct altitude. The PM completed the approach and landing checklists quietly, as the PF prefered these checklists to be completed quietly.
The aircraft is in its final position in the water after all occupants vacated.
(Source; baaa-acro.com © Unknown)
Due to the cloud base, a circle to land on runway 5 was not possible, a landing on runway 23 would be possible as there was no tailwind, only a light crosswind.
At a height of 640 feet, 200 feet above the decision height of 440 feet, the pm had the runway in sight. the aircraft ended up high on the approach, about 300 feet above the runway, as the copilot anticipated a go-around he did not call for a go-around. Just prior to touchdown, the PF asked the copilot (PM) what he thought and the copilot remarked to the PF that it was "his call." The PM did not suggest a go-around. Touch down was between 1100 and 1700 feet from the threshold of the 4305-foot-long runway. Speed brakes and thrust reversers were deployed and brakes were applied and deemed effective. However the remaining runway length was not enough and the aircraft overran the end of the runway at a speed of 40 knots and entered the Cratan Sound (a body of water) at the end of the runway), coming to a rest ~50 feet from the shore, All of the occupants of the aircraft exited the aeroplane and were rescued by witnesses of the landing of the aircraft. All occupants sustained minor injuries.
The aircraft airborne for a last time, while being lifted out of the water. (Source; baaa-acro.com © Unknown)
The National Transportation Safety Board was alerted and an investigation was initiated which led to the publication of their Aviation Accident Final Report on the 22nd of June 2011. They determined the probable cause(s) of this accident to be;
"The pilot-in-command's failure to maintain proper airspeed and his failure to initiate a go-around, which resulted in the airplane touching down too fast on a short, wet runway and a subsequent runway overrun. Contributing to the accident was the copilot's failure to adequately monitor the approach and call for a go around and the flight crew's lack of proper crew resource management."
The aircraft under tow at the airport after recovery (Source; baaa-acro.com © Unknown)
The Aviation Accident Final Report, on which this blog is based, can be accessed by clicking on the .pdf file below;