National

NTSB wants FAA to revise runway safety reviews during heavy rainfall

By David Shepardson Reuters
FILE PHOTO: Aerial view of the Miami Air International Boeing 737-800 that overran the runway at NAS Jacksonville and came to rest in the St Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S., May 4, 2019. NTSB/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Aerial view of the Miami Air International Boeing 737-800 that overran the runway at NAS Jacksonville and came to rest in the St Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S., May 4, 2019. NTSB/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Handout . Reuters

WASHINGTON - The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday called on the Federal Aviation Administration to revise how it assesses runway conditions during heavy rainfall, citing safety risks of airplanes skidding off the runway.

The recommendations follow NTSB investigations of 11 runway overrun accidents and incidents from 2008 through 2022 that occurred after landings on wet runways.

The board cited the 2019 runway overrun of a Boeing 737 in Jacksonville, Florida due in part to "an extreme loss of braking friction due to heavy rain and the water depth on the ungrooved runway, which resulted in viscous hydroplaning."

(Reporting by David Shepardson)

FILE PHOTO: A Miami Air, Boeing 737 aircraft from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, sits in shallow water of the St Johns River after it slid off the runway at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, U.S., May 3, 2019. U.S. Navy/Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Monica R. Hopper/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Miami Air, Boeing 737 aircraft from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, sits in shallow water of the St Johns River after it slid off the runway at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, U.S., May 3, 2019. U.S. Navy/Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Monica R. Hopper/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo HANDOUT Reuters

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 3:54 PM.

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