Unstabilized approach and icy runway a bad combination

The pilot reported that, while conducting a night landing at the airport in Leadville, Colorado, on a runway contaminated with ice and patchy packed snow, the Eclipse EA 500 overshot the touchdown zone.

He told investigators he tried to fly the airplane onto the runway to avoid floating.

The plane touched down firm and the pilot applied moderate braking, but the plane did not decelerate normally. It went off the end of the runway and hit several Runway End Identifier Lights (REILs) and a tree.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left and right wings.

The pilot reported that he did not feel modulation in the anti-lock braking system (ABS) and felt that might have contributed to the accident.

An examination of fault codes from the airplane’s diagnostic storage unit indicated no ABS malfunctions or failures.

An airport employee reported that he saw the airplane unusually high on the final approach and during the landing the airplane floated or stayed in ground effect before it touched down beyond the midpoint of the runway. The airplane’s long touchdown was captured by an airport surveillance video, which is included in the report docket.

Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain proper control of the airplane, which led to an unstabilized approach and a long landing on a runway contaminated with ice and patchy packed snow resulting in a runway excursion.

NTSB Identification: 102415

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This December 2020 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.