ASN Aircraft accident Swearingen SA227-AC Metro III N227ML Somerset-Lake Cumberland Regional Airport, KY (SME)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Saturday 2 January 2010
Time:15:21
Type:Silhouette image of generic SW4 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Swearingen SA227-AC Metro III
Operator:Locair
Registration: N227ML
MSN: AC-472
First flight: 1982
Total airframe hrs:25998
Engines: 2 Garrett TPE331-11U
Crew:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Passengers:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Total:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Aircraft fate: Repaired
Location:Somerset-Lake Cumberland Regional Airport, KY (SME) (   United States of America)
Phase: Landing (LDG)
Nature:Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, MD (BWI/KBWI), United States of America
Destination airport:Somerset-Lake Cumberland Regional Airport, KY (SME/KSME), United States of America
Flightnumber: 151
Narrative:
A Swearingen SA227AC Metro III, N227ML, ran off the side of runway 23 during landing roll at the Somerset-Lake Cumberland Regional Airport, KY (SME). The airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight was operated by Locair, as flight 151, an on-demand air taxi flight, with an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight originated from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) at 13:20, the same day.
According to the pilot, during landing roll, the nose wheel locked, causing the airplane to veer right. He countered with full left rudder, but was unable to bring the airplane under control. The airplane departed the runway on the north side, crossed the taxiway, and went down a small embankment. The airplane came to rest against the airport’s boundary fence.
Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector found the airplane substantially damaged with the right wing folded back just outboard of the right wing flap.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "Damaged wiring in the nosewheel steering harness, which resulted in a loss of control during landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilots' improper touchdown point."

Accident investigation:

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Investigating agency: NTSB
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 3 years
Accident number: ERA10LA103
Download report: Summary report

Classification:
Runway mishap

Sources:
» NTSB


Photos

photo of Swearingen-SA227-AC-Metro-III-N227ML
accident date: 02-01-2010
type: Swearingen SA227-AC Metro III
registration: N227ML
photo of Swearingen-SA227-AC-Metro-III-N227ML
accident date: 02-01-2010
type: Swearingen SA227-AC Metro III
registration: N227ML
photo of Swearingen-SA227-AC-Metro-III-N227ML
accident date: 02-01-2010
type: Swearingen SA227-AC Metro III
registration: N227ML
 

Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, MD to Somerset-Lake Cumberland Regional Airport, KY as the crow flies is 729 km (456 miles).

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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