Pilots Exceeded Crosswind Limits in HondaJet Excursion

A HondaJet pilot’s failure to control the twinjet after landing with known wind gusts exceeding the airplane’s crosswind limitation resulted in a runway excursion and substantial damage to the aircraft, according to the NTSB final report of the Jan. 28, 2024 accident in Orlando, Florida. “Contributing to the accident were the flight crew’s continued approach to the runway despite knowing about the consistent wind gust crosswind component that exceeded the airplane’s published crosswind limitation, and their incorrect wind gust crosswind calculation in flight.”

The two pilots and two passengers were not injured in the Part 135 on-demand flight when the aircraft veered off the left side of Runway 36L at Orlando International Airport (KMCO) and the left wing hit a frangible distance-remaining sign. The pilot was able to steer the aircraft back onto the runway and stopped on a taxiway. Inspection of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the left wing’s forward spar in the area that hit the sign.

Nearly an hour and a half before landing, the flight crew reviewed the destination airport’s ATIS, which indicated wind from 270 degrees at 14 knots, gusting to 24 knots. At 39 nm from the airport, the left-seat pilot flying advised the pilot monitoring that he checked the airport’s ASOS, which reported wind from 270 degrees at 13 to 14 knots.

The accident report notes that the CVR recorded the crew discussing the crosswind component, aircraft operating limitations, company procedures, and an alternate airport with a better-aligned runway such as Orlando Executive (KORL). However, “the pilot flying elected to continue to the planned destination airport,” the report says. About 1.2 nm from the approach end of the runway, the tower controller advised that the wind was from 290 degrees at 19 knots, gusting to 24 knots.

According to the NTSB final report, the gust values at the destination airport consistently exceeded the airplane’s published crosswind limitation for the majority of the five-minute ASOS observations for 1 hour 23 minutes before the accident. “These conditions should have necessitated either an earlier diversion to an alternate airport that was more aligned with the wind or a go-around during short final approach after the flight crew was informed, when the airplane was about 1.2 nm from the runway threshold, that the wind was gusting above the published crosswind limitation.