What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19)On may 6, 2001, approximately 1300 pacific daylight time, the nose gear of a Cessna U206, N29147, collapsed during a hard landing at flying m airstrip, Yamhill, Oregon. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured, but the aircraft, which was owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The 14 CFR part 91 personal pleasure flight, which departed aurora state airport about 10 minutes earlier, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan had been filed. According to the pilot, who was landing at an airstrip where terrain conditions dictate landing only on runway 25, there was what appeared to be a light tailwind blowing while he was on final to the turf runway. Reportedly, just about the time he was going to start his flare from about 10 feet above the ground, the aircraft encountered a tailwind gust of about 15 mph. The aircraft immediately began to sink, and before the pilot could add power to arrest the sink rate, the aircraft impacted the nose gear strut to dig into the terrain. The forces exerted on the aircraft during the ensuing deceleration resulted in substantial damage. A note in the air guide publicatio ns flight guide states that the airstrip is in a cayon with mountains surrounding it, and that winds may be variable. An additional note states "tailwind operations not recommended. (-23)private strip. Airport is in a mountain valley - one way in one way out airstrip. Takeoff or landing is going to be downwind. Evaluation of wind environment conditions by the pilot was not consistant. Pilot evaluated airstrip wind at least five miles from the airfield. On approach, slight gusty wind ceased - aircraft dropped and hit hard nose gear failed. Pilot distracted by personnel further down runway.
As the FAA filed it
(.19)ON MAY 6, 2001, APPROXIMATELY 1300 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, THE NOSE GEAR OF A CESSNA U206, N29147, COLLAPSED DURING A HARD LANDING AT FLYING M AIRSTRIP, YAMHILL, OREGON. THE PRIVATE PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED, BUT THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL PLEASURE FLIGHT, WHICH DEPARTED AURORA STATE AIRPORT ABOUT 10 MINUTES EARLIER, WAS BEING OPERATED IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, WHO WAS LANDING AT AN AIRSTRIP WHERE TERRAIN CONDITIONS DICTATE LANDING ONLY ON RUNWAY 25, THERE WAS WHAT APPEARED TO BE A LIGHT TAILWIND BLOWING WHILE HE WAS ON FINAL TO THE TURF RUNWAY. REPORTEDLY, JUST ABOUT THE TIME HE WAS GOING TO START HIS FLARE FROM ABOUT 10 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED A TAILWIND GUST OF ABOUT 15 MPH. THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO SINK, AND BEFORE THE PILOT COULD ADD POWER TO ARREST THE SINK RATE, THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE NOSE GEAR STRUT TO DIG INTO THE TERRAIN. THE FORCES EXERTED ON THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE ENSUING DECELERATION RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. A NOTE IN THE AIR GUIDE PUBLICATIO NS FLIGHT GUIDE STATES THAT THE AIRSTRIP IS IN A CAYON WITH MOUNTAINS SURROUNDING IT, AND THAT WINDS MAY BE VARIABLE. AN ADDITIONAL NOTE STATES "TAILWIND OPERATIONS NOT RECOMMENDED. (-23)PRIVATE STRIP. AIRPORT IS IN A MOUNTAIN VALLEY - ONE WAY IN ONE WAY OUT AIRSTRIP. TAKEOFF OR LANDING IS GOING TO BE DOWNWIND. EVALUATION OF WIND ENVIRONMENT CONDITIONS BY THE PILOT WAS NOT CONSISTANT. PILOT EVALUATED AIRSTRIP WIND AT LEAST FIVE MILES FROM THE AIRFIELD. ON APPROACH, SLIGHT GUSTY WIND CEASED - AIRCRAFT DROPPED AND HIT HARD NOSE GEAR FAILED.PILOT DISTRACTED BY PERSONNEL FURTHER DOWN RUNWAY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N29147 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.