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19991002032439A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna P210N · Spicewood, TX · October 2, 1999

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 2, 1999 · 11:46 local
Place
Spicewood, TX
Airport
Austin Air Ranch Airport
Phase of flight
Go Round (Aborted VFR)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N7542K
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW00FA001
Reported as
Cessna P210N
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
N7542KRegistration cancelled Jun 2, 2000 · Cessna P210NS/N P21000405Airframe modelCessna P210N

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.19) On October 2, 1999, at 1146 central daylight time, a Cessna P210N airplane, N7542K, impacted terrain following a go around at the Spicewood airport, Spicewood, Texas. The private pilot, who was the owner of the airplane, and his passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed by impact damage and fire. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight. The cross-country flight originated from the red bird airport near dallas, Texas, approximately 1040. According to the pilot-rated witnesses located at the airport, the aircraft was "very fast on final approach" for runway 17. They added that the airplane floated for about 1/3 of the runway length and then flared. During the flare, the airplane ballooned about 50-75 feet in the air and continued to lose speed as it traveled down the runway. With about 1/3 of the runway length remaining, the airplane's right wing dropped, and they heard power being added as it began an "uncoordinated turn" to the west. The witnesses stated that the airplane appeared to be "near a stall" as it continued its turn to the northeast. The airpl ane disappeared behind trees and buildings, and the witnesses started running towards the airplane. Just prior to the sound of impact, the witnesses heard "full power being applied." The airplane came to rest within one mile of the airport in a heavily wooded area, in a dry stream bed against steep terrain. The entire airplane was consumed by fire, except for the radar pod, which was mounted on the right wing, and the right wing tip. (-23)on previous flights into this 3000' strip, pilot witnesses said the pilot would have to make more than one attempt to land the airplane. He had a habit of being too high and too fast. A pilot, who had flown with Mr. Suessmann recently, said the throttle friction lock did not work. This witness also said that pilot was reluctant to use full power due to the turbocharger. On the day of the accident, during a go-around after an unsuccessful landing attempt, the pilot did not retract gear or flaps. Witnesses reported hearing power applied to the engine just prior to impact.

As the FAA filed it

(.19) ON OCTOBER 2, 1999, AT 1146 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA P210N AIRPLANE, N7542K, IMPACTED TERRAIN FOLLOWING A GO AROUND AT THE SPICEWOOD AIRPORT, SPICEWOOD, TEXAS. THE PRIVATE PILOT, WHO WAS THE OWNER OF THE AIRPLANE, AND HIS PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT DAMAGE AND FIRE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE RED BIRD AIRPORT NEAR DALLAS, TEXAS, APPROXIMATELY 1040. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT-RATED WITNESSES LOCATED AT THE AIRPORT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS "VERY FAST ON FINAL APPROACH" FOR RUNWAY 17. THEY ADDED THAT THE AIRPLANE FLOATED FOR ABOUT 1/3 OF THE RUNWAY LENGTH AND THEN FLARED. DURING THE FLARE, THE AIRPLANE BALLOONED ABOUT 50-75 FEET IN THE AIR AND CONTINUED TO LOSE SPEED AS IT TRAVELED DOWN THE RUNWAY. WITH ABOUT 1/3 OF THE RUNWAY LENGTH REMAINING, THE AIRPLANE'S RIGHT WING DROPPED, AND THEY HEARD POWER BEING ADDED AS IT BEGAN AN "UNCOORDINATED TURN" TO THE WEST. THE WITNESSES STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO BE "NEAR A STALL" AS IT CONTINUED ITS TURN TO THE NORTHEAST. THE AIRPL ANE DISAPPEARED BEHIND TREES AND BUILDINGS, AND THE WITNESSES STARTED RUNNING TOWARDS THE AIRPLANE. JUST PRIOR TO THE SOUND OF IMPACT, THE WITNESSES HEARD "FULL POWER BEING APPLIED." THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST WITHIN ONE MILE OF THE AIRPORT IN A HEAVILY WOODED AREA, IN A DRY STREAM BED AGAINST STEEP TERRAIN. THE ENTIRE AIRPLANE WAS CONSUMED BY FIRE, EXCEPT FOR THE RADAR POD, WHICH WAS MOUNTED ON THE RIGHT WING, AND THE RIGHT WING TIP. (-23)ON PREVIOUS FLIGHTS INTO THIS 3000' STRIP, PILOT WITNESSES SAID THE PILOT WOULD HAVE TO MAKE MORE THAN ONE ATTEMPT TO LAND THE AIRPLANE. HE HAD A HABIT OF BEING TOO HIGH AND TOO FAST. A PILOT, WHO HAD FLOWN WITH MR. SUESSMANN RECENTLY, SAID THE THROTTLE FRICTION LOCK DID NOT WORK. THIS WITNESS ALSO SAID THAT PILOT WAS RELUCTANT TO USE FULL POWER DUE TO THE TURBOCHARGER. ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, DURING A GO-AROUND AFTER AN UNSUCCESSFUL LANDING ATTEMPT, THE PILOT DID NOT RETRACT GEAR OR FLAPS. WITNESSES REPORTED HEARING POWER APPLIED TO THE ENGINE JUST PRIOR TO IMPACT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB FTW00FA001Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportSpicewood, TXThe pilot's delayed application of full throttle during a go-around, which resulted in a slow airspeed and inadvertent stall/spin. A factor was the pilot's habit of only applying partial power during takeoff.Oct 2, 1999 · Destroyed