Click on picture to watch video

I think the pilot might have gotten in a little trouble over this.

The pilot performed “a low pass” over the runway, and then touched down approximately 1,000 feet beyond the approach end of the 2,948-foot long runway, with a tailwind of approximately 10 knots. After touchdown, the airplane continued off the end of the runway, and subsequently impacted water. According to the Cessna 525A Landing Distance Chart, an airplane with a landing weight of 11,400 pounds required 3,000 feet of landing distance, in a no wind situation. With a 10 knot tailwind, the airplane required 3,570 feet of landing distance. The published airport diagram for the airport, was observed attached to the pilot’s control column after the accident. A notation, which read, “airport closed to jet aircraft” was observed on the diagram. Additionally, the same notation, “Arpt CLOSED to jet traffic,” was observed in the FAA Airport/Facility Directory. Examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical deficiencies.



  1. Eideard says:

    Sitting here in the middle of a family full of pilots — I have to say everyone felt sorry for the plane. Nail the dumbass who landed it.

  2. Walter says:

    What an idiot piloting that plane.

    I like the guy’s comment on the film, “That brings new meaning to Gambling in Atlantic City”!

  3. Jägermeister says:

    That’s wild… I hope they yank his flying certificate and give him a hefty fine for being stupid.

  4. TJGeezer says:

    What, nobody here ever got momentarily distracted after dropping a cigarette coal in their lap while driving? Give the guy a break. So he’s driving a 11,400 pound steel object at high speed – how’s that so different from my Honda?

  5. Mr. H. Fusion says:

    The pilot just showed the boss what he thought of that retirement plan he was offered.

  6. Miguel says:

    What the….??? Was the engine revving just by itself or was there some dope trying to do who knows what with the jet on the water?

    Amazing nobody got hurt! How much a plane like that cost?

  7. James Hatsis says:

    #4 Distraction is no excuse for landing downwind on a too-short runway that is clearly noted in the charts as “NO JET TRAFFIC”

    I see pilots like this on occasion at my airport and I make a mental note to stay clear of them. This rare type of pilot gives the whole industry a black eye by their stupid actions. They think that safety rules do not apply to them, I’d be willing to bet that said pilot did not have much gray hair…

    #6 The Engine *could* have started by itself if the start switch was shorted by the water. In this airplane it is a single button start and everything else is automatic. The battery and fuel switch could have been shut off by the pilot but they are electric and also could have shorted in the open position.

    Citation jets this size and vintage sell for 2-5 million dollars.

  8. James Hatsis says:

    Oops!
    when I wrote “could have shorted in the open position.” I meant Could have shorted in the ON position.
    Not that anyone here would nit-pick

  9. John Urho Kemp says:

    What I can’t understand is how the guy that videotaped this whole thing knew the the jet was coming in anyway?

    I guess the pilot radioed in that he was going to land and they all just went outside to see for themselves if he was stupid enough to do it? Was he cleared to land? Or was this so small of a runway that there was no ATC or Tower to radio?

  10. TJGeezer says:

    #7 – um, maybe my asking how 11,400 pounds of steel is so different from my Honda was a hint I wasn’t entirely serious? At least I don’t think I was. Maybe I’d better check…. nope, not serious.

  11. James Hatsis says:

    #9 The story said he made a low pass first then attempted to land. This low pass (which can be quite loud at times) probably alerted the guys on the ground. This airport is classified as an “Uncontrolled” airport (well over 90% of the airports in this country have no control tower)
    The pilot could have (Should have) contacted the airport via radio to check for traffic and wind conditions, but perhaps did not because they would have advised him not to land. ADVISED is the key word here because even if they did so the final authority and responsibility of the operation of the aircraft is the Pilot in Command.

  12. ECA says:

    NOW,
    could he of had 1 chance IF he used the WHOLE runnway, and landed Against the wind…??

    I think HE might have made it.
    But, WHY in the hell would he even TRY, with the wind, and SHORT?
    May those inside wanted him to try.

  13. ECA says:

    Q::

    why didnt the pilot kill the Throtel controls??

    I WILL BET you, he was either drunk, stoner, or They pay’s him to TRY the landing.

  14. Rich says:

    That pilot is busted. Isn’t it required that watercraft have bow and stern lamps?

  15. kballweg says:

    The accident happened May 15, 2005. Bader Field, the small airstrip, was closed to jets., and has no tower. But it is the pilot’s discretion to land or not. The plane was Danish registered and had three passengers.

    A key part of a NTSB review offers this interesting information:
    “A review of recorded radar data and air traffic control (ATC) communications revealed the pilot contacted Atlantic City (ACY) Approach Control at 1538, and stated he was inbound to “alpha charlie yankee.” The pilot was instructed to descend to an altitude of 2,000 feet, and fly heading 220 degrees.

    At 1540, ATC instructed the pilot to “proceed direct Bader, descend and maintain 1,500 feet. Expect visual approach.” The pilot read back the instructions, stating, “thank you, direct Bader, descend to 1,500.”

    At 1544, ATC informed the pilot that “the airport is 12 o’clock and 4 miles.” The pilot responded that he had the airport in sight, and the controller then cleared the pilot for a “visual approach at Bader airport.”

    No one was in the plane when the engine started reving up, as the pilot and co-pilot, and the two passengers had already been rescued by the boats.

    Bader is being shut down by Atlantic City this month.

  16. Mark T. says:

    That was no “low pass”. That was a botched landing. He is lucky he didn’t kill everyone onboard.

    It looks like a Cessna Citation CJ2. You can expect to pay around a $5 million for a used one. I’m not sure what they are new (depends on options).

    http://tinyurl.com/gywtd

    Total and utter pilot error. If the plane was registered in Denmark, it may have had a Danish pilot to boot. But all pilots must be fluent in English so he should have been able to read the airport diagram that was found attached to his yoke. It said that the airport was closed to jet traffic.

    And there is no excuse for landing with the wind at your tail.

    According to the NTSB report, it was a 2,948 foot runway. The jet, as loaded, required 3,000 feet to stop. With a 10 knot tailwind, it would need 3,570 feet. To me, that means that if he had landed the other way he would have stopped in 2,430 feet (but it may not work that way). With a perfect touchdown in the other direction, he might have made it. But it would still have been a white knuckles landing.

    But, of course, there was also a light rain. He probably would have ended up in the weeds but not in the drink.

    Good find, Uncle Dave!

  17. Mr. H. Fusion says:

    #15, kb, forgive me if I misunderstood your post.

    Was the pilot told by Air Traffic Control to land at this field?

  18. Roj says:

    Here’s a link to the report mentioned in #15
    http://tinyurl.com/nkcy3
    and another summary:
    http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20050515-0

  19. OmarTheAlien says:

    This guy seemed a bit on the confused side. ATC cleared the pilot for an approach, not a landing, and there is no indication the controller asked what aircraft type. But even experienced pilots make bonehead mistakes, as witnessed by the Comair crash in KY last Sunday. One glance at either the DG or magnetic compass would have told them they were on the wrong runway. The heart breaker had to be the moment they both realized their error, and the impending consequences.

  20. Miguel says:

    Seems like he mistook this runway with the one he actually should have tried landing!!!

    A crazy thing like that happened here in Portugal some 20 years ago, when a widebody passenger plane was cleared to land at Portela (Lisbon), and ended up landing in Montijo Air Force base – on the other side of the river, maybe some20 kms south? I was told (not sure if it’s true) they were received by an AIr Force jeep, machine gun and all, and that some passengers were wondering whether there had been some military coup… 🙂

  21. Miguel Correia says:

    There’s a saying in aviation that goes like this: “There are old pilots and there are bold pilots… there are no old bold pilots.” he he he

  22. Tropical Ed says:

    I’m an aviation writer and this video is destined for classic status (if it’s not there already).

    Can any of you computer experts tell me how I can download this video?

  23. There are various stream capturing systems out there. You have to search for them.

  24. Miguel says:

    If you have Firefox and the VideoDownloader extension, you can go to YouTube and watch it

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V06LBgfuxgA

    then click on the little icon on the bottom right and save it as a .flv file. You will need the flv player. All of these are Googleable.

  25. John says:

    #22 – Capturing the video.

    No need to capture it at all. It is playing via Flash and thus is already on your PC in the Temp Internet Folder.

    Play the video the whole way through. When it finishes, click on Tools \ Internet Options \ Settings \ View Files

    Simply locate the file named – planecrash.flv

    Then do a quick Google search for a Free Flash Player.

    BTW – all the videos that you watch via Google Video leave the FLV files in your Temp internet folder as well.

    The one I have is from http://www.tekool.net/flash/flv_player/

    Hope that Helps,

    John

  26. Clyde says:

    Come on, now – everyone knows that it is only necessary to shut down the left engine when deplaning passengers (into a boat).

  27. Dave says:

    Well obviously there weren’t any rock stars on board because they all lived.

  28. skycop says:

    The guy with the white hair and beard, dark jacket and blue shirt is supposedly the Danish pilot. There were conflicting reports that there was a second pilot aboard and the two passengers were 20-21 yr old females doing “business” in ACY.


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