Pilot Overshot The Runway, Ran Down A 40 Degree Embankment

The NTSB has issued a preliminary report on an accident in which an air charter flight went off the end of a runway in Sedona, AZ, on landing and careened down an embankment. Fortunately, everyone survived the accident, but two people were seriously injured.

NTSB Identification: WPR11FA236
Nonscheduled 14 CFR Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Accident occurred Wednesday, May 25, 2011 in Sedona, AZ
Aircraft: EMBRAER-EMPRESA BRASILEIRA DE EMB-500, registration: N224MD
Injuries: 2 Serious,3 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On May 25, 2011, about 1550 mountain standard time, an Embraer-Empresa Brasileira DE EMB-500 (Phenom 100), N244MD, sustained substantial damage during a runway overrun during landing at the Sedona Airport (SEZ), Sedona, Arizona. The airline transport rated captain, who was the flying pilot, and two of the three passengers were not injured. The airline transport rated first officer and one passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by Superior Air Charter LLC., doing business as Jet Suite, Long Beach, California, under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 as an on demand air charter flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed. The cross-country flight originated from San Jose, California, about 1420 Pacific daylight time, with an intended destination of SEZ.

A witness, located in the airport terminal building reported that he had received a landing request on the common traffic advisory frequency. The witness responded to the landing request with the current automated weather observing system (AWOS) and informed the pilots that runway 3 was the uphill runway. The witness said that he attempted to transmit this information twice with no response. He further stated that he then observed the accident airplane land within the touchdown area on runway 21 and proceed to "fish tail" down the runway at a "high rate of speed" until it exited the departure end of the runway. The witness further reported that he observed the airplane strike a chain link fence and continue out of sight down an embankment.

Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane came to rest upright on an approximate 40-degree incline, about 397 feet beyond the departure end of runway 21. All major structural components of the airplane were located within the wreckage debris path. The wreckage was transported to a secure location for further examination.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov