Narrative:

On the evening of apr/thu/03, my student and I were in the middle of the preflight prior to our instrument training flight. I witnessed an aircraft at high speed veer off the runway (runway 22R) and cause a lot of smoke and dust to rise enough to lose sight of the aircraft for a few seconds. From the position on the ramp where I was standing, it seemed that the aircraft's gear had collapsed. I proceeded towards the aircraft, which made his stop on a taxiway near the end of the parallel runway (runway 22L). When the pilot had stopped the aircraft and shut the engine down, I asked him if he was alright, he replied he 'was not sure.' myself and another flight instructor proceeded across the runway (runway 22R) after visually making sure there was no traffic on or near the runway. My concern was for the safety of the pilot. Upon reaching the aircraft, we found the pilot was uninjured and very shaken up about the incident. He made a comment of seeing his life flash before his eyes. The aircraft was a turboprop single engine eclipse. We helped the pilot check the aircraft visually for any damage. We proceeded back to the ramp after finding out the pilot and aircraft were ok. On our way to the ramp, a city employee gave us a ride to our aircraft on the ramp while advising us to call the controling tower. The controller informed me that we were being violated for a runway incursion. Again, my concern at the time was for the pilot, who was placed in a possible life threatening emergency. I did not consider that a runway incursion was being made as we crossed the runway by foot to help the pilot out. I would think the runway would even be closed until the aircraft and pilot were verified by a city employee as being physically and mentally ok. Suggestions: a response from the city to verify that any person in an incident accident is all right while the tower is open will keep any personnel on the ramp from making any incursions or wrong decisions during a similar incident. Visible signs advising all personnel not to enter an area protected will make these actions more clear. Better recommendations on ground etiquette will help clarify how personnel are to respond in a similar situation. Supplemental information from acn 578932: in addition, a prompt response by the airport authority/authorized, police, fire department, etc, during an airport emergency would lessen the likelihood of civilians trying to help.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ECLIPSE TURBOPROP ACFT APPEARS TO BE ON FIRE WITH A COLLAPSED LNDG GEAR. 2 INSTRUCTORS RAN ACROSS ACTIVE RWY IN AN ATTEMPT TO INSURE THE PLT IS OUT OF THE ACFT. THE TWR SUPVR THREATENED THE INSTRUCTORS FOR XING THE RWY.

Narrative: ON THE EVENING OF APR/THU/03, MY STUDENT AND I WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PREFLT PRIOR TO OUR INST TRAINING FLT. I WITNESSED AN ACFT AT HIGH SPD VEER OFF THE RWY (RWY 22R) AND CAUSE A LOT OF SMOKE AND DUST TO RISE ENOUGH TO LOSE SIGHT OF THE ACFT FOR A FEW SECONDS. FROM THE POS ON THE RAMP WHERE I WAS STANDING, IT SEEMED THAT THE ACFT'S GEAR HAD COLLAPSED. I PROCEEDED TOWARDS THE ACFT, WHICH MADE HIS STOP ON A TXWY NEAR THE END OF THE PARALLEL RWY (RWY 22L). WHEN THE PLT HAD STOPPED THE ACFT AND SHUT THE ENG DOWN, I ASKED HIM IF HE WAS ALRIGHT, HE REPLIED HE 'WAS NOT SURE.' MYSELF AND ANOTHER FLT INSTRUCTOR PROCEEDED ACROSS THE RWY (RWY 22R) AFTER VISUALLY MAKING SURE THERE WAS NO TFC ON OR NEAR THE RWY. MY CONCERN WAS FOR THE SAFETY OF THE PLT. UPON REACHING THE ACFT, WE FOUND THE PLT WAS UNINJURED AND VERY SHAKEN UP ABOUT THE INCIDENT. HE MADE A COMMENT OF SEEING HIS LIFE FLASH BEFORE HIS EYES. THE ACFT WAS A TURBOPROP SINGLE ENG ECLIPSE. WE HELPED THE PLT CHK THE ACFT VISUALLY FOR ANY DAMAGE. WE PROCEEDED BACK TO THE RAMP AFTER FINDING OUT THE PLT AND ACFT WERE OK. ON OUR WAY TO THE RAMP, A CITY EMPLOYEE GAVE US A RIDE TO OUR ACFT ON THE RAMP WHILE ADVISING US TO CALL THE CTLING TWR. THE CTLR INFORMED ME THAT WE WERE BEING VIOLATED FOR A RWY INCURSION. AGAIN, MY CONCERN AT THE TIME WAS FOR THE PLT, WHO WAS PLACED IN A POSSIBLE LIFE THREATENING EMER. I DID NOT CONSIDER THAT A RWY INCURSION WAS BEING MADE AS WE CROSSED THE RWY BY FOOT TO HELP THE PLT OUT. I WOULD THINK THE RWY WOULD EVEN BE CLOSED UNTIL THE ACFT AND PLT WERE VERIFIED BY A CITY EMPLOYEE AS BEING PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY OK. SUGGESTIONS: A RESPONSE FROM THE CITY TO VERIFY THAT ANY PERSON IN AN INCIDENT ACCIDENT IS ALL RIGHT WHILE THE TWR IS OPEN WILL KEEP ANY PERSONNEL ON THE RAMP FROM MAKING ANY INCURSIONS OR WRONG DECISIONS DURING A SIMILAR INCIDENT. VISIBLE SIGNS ADVISING ALL PERSONNEL NOT TO ENTER AN AREA PROTECTED WILL MAKE THESE ACTIONS MORE CLR. BETTER RECOMMENDATIONS ON GND ETIQUETTE WILL HELP CLARIFY HOW PERSONNEL ARE TO RESPOND IN A SIMILAR SIT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 578932: IN ADDITION, A PROMPT RESPONSE BY THE ARPT AUTH, POLICE, FIRE DEPT, ETC, DURING AN ARPT EMER WOULD LESSEN THE LIKELIHOOD OF CIVILIANS TRYING TO HELP.

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.