20060816016189I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 421C · Colorado City, AZ · August 16, 2006

Date: August 16, 2006 · 15:10 local
Place: Colorado City, AZ
Airport: Colorado City Municipal
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N283PT
Reported as: Cessna 421C
Reported engine: Continental O520*
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 600 total310 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days

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.

(-23) Aircraft was on approach to landing for runway 29 at the Colorado City airport, Colorado City, AZ. Pilot stated that there was some light turbulence/gust while on final approach however, the winds were predominantly from 220-280 at 5-8 knots. Pilot stated that he made a hard touchdown on the right main gear which caused the gear to collapse, and a subsequent prop strike to the runway surface. The aircraft then slid off the runway to the right and came to rest within a small gulley adjacent to the runway. Further investigation indicates that the aircraft was not properly aligned with the runway upon touchdown which placed a side load on the right main gear. This side load caused the right main gear support to break which in turn caused the main gear to fold up and allowed for the prop strike.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT WAS ON APPROACH TO LANDING FOR RUNWAY 29 AT THE COLORADO CITY AIRPORT, COLORADO CITY, AZ. PILOT STATED THAT THERE WAS SOME LIGHT TURBULENCE/GUST WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH HOWEVER, THE WINDS WERE PREDOMINANTLY FROM 220-280 AT 5-8 KNOTS. PILOT STATED THAT HE MADE A HARD TOUCHDOWN ON THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR WHICH CAUSED THE GEAR TO COLLAPSE, AND A SUBSEQUENT PROP STRIKE TO THE RUNWAY SURFACE. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SLID OFF THE RUNWAY TO THE RIGHT AND CAME TO REST WITHIN A SMALL GULLEY ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY. FURTHER INVESTIGATION INDICATES THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT PROPERLY ALIGNED WITH THE RUNWAY UPON TOUCHDOWN WHICH PLACED A SIDE LOAD ON THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR. THIS SIDE LOAD CAUSED THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR SUPPORT TO BREAK WHICH IN TURN CAUSED THE MAIN GEAR TO FOLD UP AND ALLOWED FOR THE PROP STRIKE.