Des Moines Intl Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Des Moines, Iowa 50301
Tuesady, July 18, 1989 2:30 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PIC RPRTD THAT DURING AN IFR ARRIVAL TO THE DES MOINES INTL ARPT, HE DETECTED WHAT SEEMED TO BE MICROBURSTS & ELECTED TO MAKE A MISSED APCH. DURING A 2ND APCH (ILS RWY 30R APCH), WX CONDITIONS WERE BETTER & TOWER PSNL RPRTD ONLY LIGHT RAIN & WINDS, SO HE CONTINUED FOR A LANDING. THE APCH & TOUCHDOWN WERE NORMAL & REVERSE THRUST WAS NOT USED. HOWEVER, THE PLT RPRTD THAT WHEN HE APPLIED BRAKES, HE REALIZED THE ACFT WAS HYROPLANING. SOON THEREAFTER, IT ANGLED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RWY, THOUGH IT WAS BEING STEERED TO THE LEFT. THE ACFT THEN ENCTRD SOFT MUD, HIT 2 LANDING LIGHT ABUTMENTS & WAS DAMAGED. THE RWY WAS RPRTD TO SLOPE DOWNWARD TOWARD THE MIDPOINT. THE PLT STATED THAT A FEW HRS LATER, WATER WAS STILL STANDING IN LOW POINTS ON THE RWY, THOUGH RAIN HAD STOPPED FALLING. ALSO, HE STATED THE LOCAL CONTROLLER HAD NOT WARNED HIM OF POSSIBLE HYDROPLANING THOUGH AT LEAST 2 INCHES OF RAIN HAD FALLEN IN A SHORT PERIOD BEFORE THE PLANE HAD LANDED. THE 0244 CDT WIND WAS RPRTD TO BE FROM 200 DEG AT 9 KTS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND RUNWAY ALIGNMENT DURING THE LANDING. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: ADVERSE WEATHER/RUNWAY/TERRAIN CONDITIONS, FAILURE OF THE LOCAL CONTROLLER TO WARN THE PILOT OF POSSIBLE HYDROPLANING CONDITIONS, THE PILOT'S DECISION NOT TO USE REVERSE THRUST, AND RUNWAY LIGHT ABUTMENTS.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/18/1989
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 230
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City DES MOINES
Event State IOWA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 50301
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude --
Event Location Longitude --
Event Location Airport DES MOINES INTL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID DSM
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 957
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 244 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID DSM
Elevation of weather observation facility 957
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 1400
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 1
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 22
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 20
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 200
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 9
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Light
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 1
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 518
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 18 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 430
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 39922
Date of most recent change to record Feb 26 2001 8:07AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N701AS
NTSB Number MKC89LA161
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Gates Learjet
Aircraft Model LEARJET 35
Aircraft Series Identifier LEARJET 35
Aircraft Serial Number 047
Certified Max Gross Weight 18300
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 3
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection AAIP
Date of Last Inspection Jun 4 1989 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 175
Airframe Hours 7364
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name NEW CREATIONS, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 3939 E. 17TH AVE.
Aircraft Owner City COLUMBUS
Aircraft Owner State OH
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 43219
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not Non-scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Cargo
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code DEN
Departure City DENVER
Departure State CO
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Feb 26 2001 8:07AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 30R
Runway Length 9001
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --