Mikoyan Gurevich MIG 21MF N9307 accident near Minneapolis, Minnesota

Probable cause

The pilot's delayed application of wheel brakes to slow the airplane down on landing and the airplane’s failed drag chute, which resulted in a runway overrun.

NTSB analysis

The pilot established an appropriate speed during the approach and landed about 300 feet down the 5,000-foot-long runway. Within seconds of touching down, the pilot brought the throttle control to idle and deployed the drag chute. However, when the chute deployed, it did not fully inflate and then separated from the airplane. The pilot was not immediately aware the drag chute had failed and continued to try to deploy the chute. The pilot said that he used maximum braking to slow the airplane but was unable to stop the airplane on the runway. The pilot swerved to the left to avoid crossing a state highway, and the airplane struck a berm and a fence before it stopped. The pilot said that he had successfully tested the drag chute in preparation for this particular landing and had no previous problems deploying the chute before the accident. A review of performance data revealed that the pilot had sufficient runway length to land without use of the drag chute had he applied the wheel brakes immediately upon landing.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN12LA452 for the full record.