N3328X

On Friday, October 22, 1993, at 1110 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 310L, N3328X, piloted by Mr. Peter J. Bottazi, of Marlboro, Massachusetts, ran off the departure end of the runway and struck a vehicle while landing at Tew-Mac Airport, Tewksbury, Massachusetts. The airplane received substantial damage and there were no injuries to the pilot. The driver of the vehicle received minor injuries and the two passengers in the vehicle were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the flight operating under 14 CFR 91.

In the NTSB Accident Report, the pilot stated:

Severe turbulence, could not line up with runway because of crosswind - carried extra speed and less flaps - ran off end of runway.

The pilot was landing on runway 21, which is 2830 feet long, 26 feet wide, and has an asphalt surface. The pilot reported the winds from 300 degrees, at 20 to 25 knots, with gusts to 30 to 35 knots. The FAA reported the winds a variable between 240 to 300 degrees at 10 to 22 MPH.

According to FAA Inspector, Mr. Donald Small,

"...the aircraft landed halfway down runway 21...Immediately after touchdown the right wheel was off the pavement and in the grass. The aircraft started drifting more...and more to the right as the landing roll progressed. At the end of runway 21, the aircraft was completely off to the right side of the runway in the grass. The aircraft went past the end of runway 21, traveled approximately 100 feet, traveled through a five foot high chain link fence, traveled fifty feet more, and hit a car with three occupants...."

According to FAA Inspector, Mr. Gary Clarke,

"...I noted that there were solid skid marks for both main landing gear for a distance of approximately 1500 feet. The skid marks extended from a point of initial application, approximately 1/2 down the runway, and continued, unbroken, for the entire length of the remainder of the runway, and through the grass and gravel to the right of the runway where the plane left the paved surface toward the end, up the embankment, and onto the paved surface of the highway, Route 38."

The FAA also said the pilot did not possess a current FAA Airman Medical Certificate.

According to Mr. Andrew Hall, an air safety investigator, with the Cessna Aircraft Company, the maximum demonstrated crosswind component is not published in the owners manual.