May Jeopardize Future of Bader Field

A small business jet attempting to land at Bader Field Airport (KAIY) went into the bay around 1630 EDT at Atlantic City, New Jersey. No one was seriously injured, but four people on board suffered minor injuries. (OnScene Photos by ANN Contributor Dennis Herron)

"The plane had no business being at this airport," said Mark Klieger, the airport facilities manager, in an interview with ANN. He said that the airport is closed to jets (and is widely published to that effect).

He was concerned that this incident and resulting bad publicity could force the closure of the airport, which has been threatened recently. The twin engine jet (OY-JET) is a Cessna Citation CJ2, S/N 525A-0089.

An airport worker saw the jet do a low pass over runway 22 (2445 feet) where it flew close to a baseball stadium before turning back to the airport to approach runway 11 (2948 feet). A call from a neighbor prompted Klieger to go outside in time to see the aircraft attempt to land on runway 11.

Klieger said that the jet appeared to come in 'too fast,' and was unable to stop before going off the end of the runway into the water. Nearby boaters rescued the four on board, but the drama was just getting started.

Although the powerplants had reportedly been shut down, one of the engines either restarted or was throttled up, propelling the aircraft forward before it settled in. Bizarre as it may seem, according to Klieger, it was clearly moving through the water.

The police were moving to evacuate homes but then the aircraft hit a sand bar, and spun back around before the engine eventually shut down. After the accident, the pilot reported that he had had braking problems.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov