Incident Overview

Date: Sunday 14 October 2007
Aircraft Type: Rockwell Sabreliner 65
Owner/operator: Sabre 65 LLC
Registration Number: N65BT
Location: Olathe-New Century AirCenter, KS (JCI) – ÿ United States of America
Phase of Flight: Landing
Status: Substantial, repaired
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Component Affected: Directional control system (specifically, the pilot’s ability to maintain a stable flight path).Directional control system (specifically, the pilot’s ability to maintain a stable flight path).
Investigating Agency: NTSBNTSB
Category: Accident
A corporate executive airplane experienced a near-miss landing due to a sudden and unexpected wind shift during a repositioning flight. The pilot observed runway lights through rain, initiated reverse thrust, and subsequently lost directional control, resulting in a hydroplane landing onto a concrete pad and runway light. The aircraft suffered damage to the nose landing gear and pressure vessel.A corporate executive airplane experienced a near-miss landing due to a sudden and unexpected wind shift during a repositioning flight. The pilot observed runway lights through rain, initiated reverse thrust, and subsequently lost directional control, resulting in a hydroplane landing onto a concrete pad and runway light. The aircraft suffered damage to the nose landing gear and pressure vessel.

Description

The airplane had just completed a corporate/executive flight and was being repositioned to its base. The captain, who was flying the airplane, said he saw the runway lights through light rain when they were 10 miles away from the airport. He intercepted and flew the visual approach slope indicator and landed on runway 18. The rain increased in intensity, and the airplane touched down approximately the 1,000-foot mark. The wind was from the southeast and gusting. As the captain selected reverse thrust, the wind shifted from the west. Directional control was lost and the airplane hydroplaned off the left side of the runway, striking a concrete pad and runway light. The nose landing gear was sheared off and the pressure vessel was compromised. PROBABLE CAUSE: “The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control. Contributing factors in this accident were the sudden wind shift, from calm to a gusty crosswind, the runway light, and the concrete pad.”

Primary Cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control.The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control.

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