<< >> NASA ASRS Report 218421, August 1992

Air taxi flight crew gets below approach path. Wheels hit before reaching runway. Slides onto runway on belly.

Attributes
ACN	218421
Time
Date	199208
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 10ak
State Reference	AK
Altitude	msl bound lower : 57 msl bound upper : 57
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 350 flight time total : 6850
ASRS Report	218421
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was copilot on a flight dispatched from barrow to nuiqsut, ak. West entered the pattern for what appeared to be a normal landing. While on short final the aircraft sank below glide due to gusty wind conditions straight down the runway. I told the captain that he was too low. He added power, increased pitch, but it was too little too late the wheels hit a few ft below the edge of the runway tearing them from the airplane, we slid to a stop on the belly pad. I believe this could have been prevented had we activated the runway lighting system and VASI, because we could have idented glide deviations sooner. In the future I will use VASI's at uncontrolled fields regardless of WX and lighting conditions. To my knowledge no regulation requires a pilot to activate and use VASI at an airport without a control tower maybe there should be one!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI FLC GETS BELOW APCH PATH. WHEELS HIT BEFORE REACHING RWY. SLIDES ONTO RWY ON BELLY.

Narrative: I WAS COPLT ON A FLT DISPATCHED FROM BARROW TO NUIQSUT, AK. W ENTERED THE PATTERN FOR WHAT APPEARED TO BE A NORMAL LNDG. WHILE ON SHORT FINAL THE ACFT SANK BELOW GLIDE DUE TO GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS STRAIGHT DOWN THE RWY. I TOLD THE CAPT THAT HE WAS TOO LOW. HE ADDED PWR, INCREASED PITCH, BUT IT WAS TOO LITTLE TOO LATE THE WHEELS HIT A FEW FT BELOW THE EDGE OF THE RWY TEARING THEM FROM THE AIRPLANE, WE SLID TO A STOP ON THE BELLY PAD. I BELIEVE THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED HAD WE ACTIVATED THE RWY LIGHTING SYS AND VASI, BECAUSE WE COULD HAVE IDENTED GLIDE DEVS SOONER. IN THE FUTURE I WILL USE VASI'S AT UNCTLED FIELDS REGARDLESS OF WX AND LIGHTING CONDITIONS. TO MY KNOWLEDGE NO REG REQUIRES A PLT TO ACTIVATE AND USE VASI AT AN ARPT WITHOUT A CTL TWR MAYBE THERE SHOULD BE ONE!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.