NTSB Factual Report

On August 31, 2001, at 1930 central daylight time, N6412X, a Beech 58P, contacted a ditch when it ran off the departure end of the runway while landing on runway 28 (3,000 feet by 48 feet, asphalt) at the Lost Mine Airport (MO56), Theodosia, Missouri. The pilot and four passengers were not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions (VMC) and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Addison, Texas, at 1710.

The pilot reported that he checked the weather twice prior to departing Addison. He reported the weather in the area of Theodosia was clear and the forecast was for the possibility of widely scattered rain showers. The pilot reported that after takeoff he climbed to 13,000 feet and the flight was uneventful. He reported that while en route he again checked the forecast for MO56 and it remained VMC.

The pilot reported there was a three mile diameter rain shower just north of MO56 when he arrived in the area. He reported that the rain was moving to the south. The pilot reported that he circled the area for approximately 25 minutes while waiting for the rain shower to move across the airport and off to the south. The pilot reported that the windsock on the east end of the airport was showing a direct "...right to left crosswind at less than 10 knots." He reported "Since I had landed with a wet runway at this field on many occasions I did not see this as an absolute bar to landing and there was no tailwind component present for a 280 landing. Overall, I was balancing the gathering darkness and approaching IFR fuel reserves with the wet runway, and I did not believe that an attempted landing held anything different than I had confronted on this field on numerous prior occasions."

The pilot reported that while on short final, he encountered light to moderate turbulence with the windsock showing a direct right crosswind. The pilot reported, "However, late into the landing flare with the wheel touching the surface (at less than 500 feet down the runway) and the spoilers deploying, the aircraft was not decelerating as it normally did. In addition, there was much more standing water on the runway than I had been able to observe or anticipate and I found myself with almost zero braking capacity. By this time I was at the mid-point of the runway's length and given the time it would have taken to clean up the airplane for a go-around (with full flaps and spoilers deployed) I elected to continue the landing rather than attempt a go-around into rising terrain to the W [west]. I held the yoke full back, pumped the brakes through several episodes of hydroplaning and concentrated on maintaining control of the aircraft, slowing it down, and steering it to the least damaging area of the overrun."

The airplane continued off the end of the runway where it sustained substantial damage upon contacting a drainage ditch.

The pilot reported he has flown into the Lost Mine Airport hundreds of times over the last 7 years. He reported that because of rapidly rising terrain on the west end of the runway, he makes it a habit to land to the west on runway 28, and to depart to the east on runway 10.

NTSB Probable Cause

Diminished braking action due to standing water on the runway. A factor associated with the accident was the ditch which the airplane contacted.