Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Kneeland Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Kneeland, California 95501
Saturday, September 13, 2003 13:53 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
All of the landing gear collapsed after the pilot experienced poor braking action and intentionally maneuvered the airplane off the left side of the runway. During the landing roll on runway 33, the pilot experienced poor braking action due to a deteriorated runway surface. About 200 feet from the end of the runway he intentionally initiated a left turn in an attempt to keep from going off the end of the runway and down a 500-foot embankment. The airplane departed the left side of the runway surface onto a dirt area adjacent to the displaced threshold. The airplane went down a descending embankment and all three landing gear collapsed as the airplane continued the left turn. The airplane came to rest with the right wing on a berm. There was an undulating surface on the northwest end of runway 15/33. Runway 33 has a steep approach angle due to trees on the approach path to the 40-foot displaced threshold. Runway 33 is 2,270 feet in length and has a 0.05 percent up runway gradient. The runway asphalt surface is oxidized and deteriorating with fractured surface areas and open seams. The wind was 5 knots and variable out of the west. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with any system during the event.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
poor braking action due to the undulating runway surface and crumbling asphalt resulting in an on ground encounter with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the necessity for the pilot to fly an increased approach angle due to the trees at the approach end, a displaced threshold, short runway length, and descending embankment in proximity to the runway surface.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/13/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1353 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Kneeland |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 95501 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | Yes |
| Event Location Latitude | 404300N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1235539W |
| Event Location Airport | Kneeland Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | O19 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1353 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ACV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2715 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 270 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.87 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 14964 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 13 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1423 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 2 2004 8:06AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Oakland |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N258SJ |
| NTSB Number | LAX03CA286 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | -- |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | 58 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | TH-1258 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5400 |
| 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 | -- |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Helicopter Express Inc |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Lawrenceville |
| Aircraft Owner State | GA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 30045 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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 | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | -- |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | ACV |
| Departure City | Eureka-Arcata |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | -- |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | O19 |
| Destination City | Kneeland |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing - roll |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 19 2003 4:38PM |
| User who most recently changed record | COOS |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 33 |
| Runway Length | 2270 |
| Runway Width | 50 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |