What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On August 31, 2001, at 2020 pacific daylight time, a Cessna T210M, N6877M, impacted terrain and burned while on a 3-mile final approach to the Watsonville, California airport. The commercial certificated pilot, the sole occupant, was seriously injured and the airplane was substantially damaged. The personal flight was operated by kestrel LLC under 14 CFR part 91. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and the flight was operating on an instrument flight plan. The point of departure and time of departure are unknown. According to the federal aviation administration's southwest region quality assurance office, the flight arrived in the Watsonville area in VFR conditions-on-top and requested an instrument approach at Watsonville. The flight was cleared for the localizer approach to runway 2. There was no radio transmission from the airplane of abnormal condition or emergency. The minimum descent altitude for the localizer approach to runway 2 was 680 feet MSL, (531 feet height above the runway touchdown zone elevation). At 2009, the automated weather observing system (AWOS-3) at Watsonville airport reported conditions as 200-foot overcast ceiling and visibility of 2 (statute) miles in mist. At 2028, the ceiling was 200-foot overcast and the visibility was 4 miles in mist. (-23) aircraft was on approach to rny 02 at wvi at night in fog. The aircraft fell below safe altitude to clear the trees along the approach path and collided with the trees. The pilot stated that he lost engine power and could not maintain altitude. Evidence supports this statement in that there was low power being produced at the time of impact, but not zero power output. The indications are that the engine was running, but at a reduced power setting at time of impact. No indication of lack of fuel or fuel mismanagement, or that there was any engine malfunction. The engine control cables were still attached and functional at the engine. The cockpit side of the controls could not be verified due ot the fire damage. The pilot died from burns sustained in the accident approximately three weeks after the accident. The engine is scheduled to be run on a test stand at engine manufacturer's facility. If the results from that test indicate any causal factors that would support the pilot's statement that he could not power up the engine, thi s report will be amended to reflect those findings.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON AUGUST 31, 2001, AT 2020 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA T210M, N6877M, IMPACTED TERRAIN AND BURNED WHILE ON A 3-MILE FINAL APPROACH TO THE WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA AIRPORT. THE COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED AND THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED BY KESTREL LLC UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND THE FLIGHT WAS OPERATING ON AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PLAN. THE POINT OF DEPARTURE AND TIME OF DEPARTURE ARE UNKNOWN. ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION'S SOUTHWEST REGION QUALITY ASSURANCE OFFICE, THE FLIGHT ARRIVED IN THE WATSONVILLE AREA IN VFR CONDITIONS-ON-TOP AND REQUESTED AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH AT WATSONVILLE. THE FLIGHT WAS CLEARED FOR THE LOCALIZER APPROACH TO RUNWAY 2. THERE WAS NO RADIO TRANSMISSION FROM THE AIRPLANE OF ABNORMAL CONDITION OR EMERGENCY. THE MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE FOR THE LOCALIZER APPROACH TO RUNWAY 2 WAS 680 FEET MSL, (531 FEET HEIGHT ABOVE THE RUNWAY TOUCHDOWN ZONE ELEVATION). AT 2009, THE AUTOMATED WEATHER OBSERVING SYSTEM (AWOS-3) AT WATSONVILLE AIRPORT REPORTED CONDITIONS AS 200-FOOT OVERCAST CEILING AND VISIBILITY OF 2 (STATUTE) MILES IN MIST. AT 2028, THE CEILING WAS 200-FOOT OVERCAST AND THE VISIBILITY WAS 4 MILES IN MIST. (-23) AIRCRAFT WAS ON APPROACH TO RNY 02 AT WVI AT NIGHT IN FOG. THE AIRCRAFT FELL BELOW SAFE ALTITUDE TO CLEAR THE TREES ALONG THE APPROACH PATH AND COLLIDED WITH THE TREES. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE LOST ENGINE POWER AND COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THIS STATEMENT IN THAT THERE WAS LOW POWER BEING PRODUCED AT THE TIME OF IMPACT, BUT NOT ZERO POWER OUTPUT. THE INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING, BUT AT A REDUCED POWER SETTING AT TIME OF IMPACT. NO INDICATION OF LACK OF FUEL OR FUEL MISMANAGEMENT, OR THAT THERE WAS ANY ENGINE MALFUNCTION. THE ENGINE CONTROL CABLES WERE STILL ATTACHED AND FUNCTIONAL AT THE ENGINE. THE COCKPIT SIDE OF THE CONTROLS COULD NOT BE VERIFIED DUE OT THE FIRE DAMAGE. THE PILOT DIED FROM BURNS SUSTAINED IN THE ACCIDENT APPROXIMATELY THREE WEEKS AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE ENGINE IS SCHEDULED TO BE RUN ON A TEST STAND AT ENGINE MANUFACTURER'S FACILITY. IF THE RESULTS FROM THAT TEST INDICATE ANY CAUSAL FACTORS THAT WOULD SUPPORT THE PILOT'S STATEMENT THAT HE COULD NOT POWER UP THE ENGINE, THI S REPORT WILL BE AMENDED TO REFLECT THOSE FINDINGS.
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 N6877M · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.