Air taxi pilot flying a PA31-350 landing on a downhill runway finds that braking is not slowing the ...

Attributes
ACN	392523
Time
Date	199801
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fhr
State Reference	WA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	PA-31 Navajo Chieftan/Mojave/Navajo T1020
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 3700 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	392523
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The approach and landing was normal. The landing confign and speed was normal. The touchdown point was just past the numbers and well before the bump at the approach end of runway 16. After landing, I let the aircraft roll a bit before applying the brakes. I smoothly increased brake pressure while noticing that the aircraft was not slowing down. I got on the brakes more with little results. At this point the end of the runway was coming up quickly. The tires locked up, so I started pumping the brakes. I continued hard braking while trying to turn onto the taxiway at the end of the runway but once I hit the taxiway the aircraft slid off the taxiway into the soft grass. There was no damage to the aircraft or the airport light system. I feel that I should have got on the brakes harder and sooner due to the following contributors: 1) runway 16 is downhill, that is only 3400 ft long, but wide. 2) wet runway. 3) heavy aircraft. 4) I am used to a 3400 ft long runway, which is much narrower, so the speed perception is much different.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI PLT FLYING A PA31-350 LNDG ON A DOWNHILL RWY FINDS THAT BRAKING IS NOT SLOWING THE ACFT SOON ENOUGH. TRYING TO TURN ONTO THE TXWY, THE ACFT SLIDES OFF INTO THE SOFT GRASS.

Narrative: THE APCH AND LNDG WAS NORMAL. THE LNDG CONFIGN AND SPD WAS NORMAL. THE TOUCHDOWN POINT WAS JUST PAST THE NUMBERS AND WELL BEFORE THE BUMP AT THE APCH END OF RWY 16. AFTER LNDG, I LET THE ACFT ROLL A BIT BEFORE APPLYING THE BRAKES. I SMOOTHLY INCREASED BRAKE PRESSURE WHILE NOTICING THAT THE ACFT WAS NOT SLOWING DOWN. I GOT ON THE BRAKES MORE WITH LITTLE RESULTS. AT THIS POINT THE END OF THE RWY WAS COMING UP QUICKLY. THE TIRES LOCKED UP, SO I STARTED PUMPING THE BRAKES. I CONTINUED HARD BRAKING WHILE TRYING TO TURN ONTO THE TXWY AT THE END OF THE RWY BUT ONCE I HIT THE TXWY THE ACFT SLID OFF THE TXWY INTO THE SOFT GRASS. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR THE ARPT LIGHT SYS. I FEEL THAT I SHOULD HAVE GOT ON THE BRAKES HARDER AND SOONER DUE TO THE FOLLOWING CONTRIBUTORS: 1) RWY 16 IS DOWNHILL, THAT IS ONLY 3400 FT LONG, BUT WIDE. 2) WET RWY. 3) HVY ACFT. 4) I AM USED TO A 3400 FT LONG RWY, WHICH IS MUCH NARROWER, SO THE SPD PERCEPTION IS MUCH DIFFERENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Air taxi pilot flying a PA31-350 landing on a downhill runway finds that braking is not slowing the aircraft soon enough. Trying to turn onto the taxiway, the aircraft slides off into the soft grass.