OpenAirDocs.org

20200127009809I

Incident · Minor damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Cessna 210L · Johnstown, PA · January 27, 2020

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
January 27, 2020 · 14:54 local
Place
Johnstown, PA
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N732GP
Reported as
Cessna 210L
Reported engine
Continental IO-520 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
3,500 total3,500 in this make and model26 in the last 90 days
N732GPRegistered now · Cessna 210LS/N 21061504Airframe modelCessna 210LEngine modelContinental IO-520 seriesReciprocating

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.

01/27/20 Incident summary ? N732GP

I departed W29 at around 7:00 am. The initial part of the flight was VMC but the majority was IMC. On approach to lbe I encountered some light clear ice but the flare and landing were normal and accumulations minimal. About 4 hours later I returned to lbe and checked the weather. The visibility and conditions at lbe were good but I could see more significant cloud cover to the east. I checked the weather at my destination (fdk) and it was VFR with high ceilings (8K I believe) and temps in the 40?s. I then checked the weather at hgr which was on my route of flight and they were also reporting high ceilings and warm temperatures. While I was expecting the initial part of my flight would be IMC and there was a chance of icing the fact that the weather was so good only a short distance away, and the conditions I experience on my inbound flight, made me think the flight could be safely made. I filed IFR with an altitude below the ceilings reported at hgr and fdk.

My departure, climb out and initial part of the flight was fine. Then after about 15-20 minutes I noticed rime ice starting to accumulate on the wings. Knowing this was a dangerous condition I requested to divert to Johnstown which was relatively close to my position. The request was granted and I initiated the ILS 33 approach. During the approach I encountered a significant increase in ice accumulation but the approach was stable and appeared normal. When I was over the landing zone I pulled the throttle back and before I could initiate a flare the nose dropped and the nose wheel hit the runway before the mains. I don?t recall if there was a bounce to the mains and then back to the nose but the nose gear collapsed and I skidded down the runway to a stop. I turned off the power and secured the fuel selector then exited the aircraft.

In retrospect, I should have checked the weather at Johnstown for a more accurate evaluation of the local conditions before making the decision to depart. Had I known there was precipitation in that area I would have altered my plans. I also should have kept more power on during the landing to compensate for the degradation in lift caused by the ice which accumulated on final approach.

Respectfully submitted,

privacy data omitted

As the FAA filed it

01/27/20 INCIDENT SUMMARY ? N732GP

I DEPARTED W29 AT AROUND 7:00 AM. THE INITIAL PART OF THE FLIGHT WAS VMC BUT THE MAJORITY WAS IMC. ON APPROACH TO LBE I ENCOUNTERED SOME LIGHT CLEAR ICE BUT THE FLARE AND LANDING WERE NORMAL AND ACCUMULATIONS MINIMAL. ABOUT 4 HOURS LATER I RETURNED TO LBE AND CHECKED THE WEATHER. THE VISIBILITY AND CONDITIONS AT LBE WERE GOOD BUT I COULD SEE MORE SIGNIFICANT CLOUD COVER TO THE EAST. I CHECKED THE WEATHER AT MY DESTINATION (FDK) AND IT WAS VFR WITH HIGH CEILINGS (8K I BELIEVE) AND TEMPS IN THE 40?S. I THEN CHECKED THE WEATHER AT HGR WHICH WAS ON MY ROUTE OF FLIGHT AND THEY WERE ALSO REPORTING HIGH CEILINGS AND WARM TEMPERATURES. WHILE I WAS EXPECTING THE INITIAL PART OF MY FLIGHT WOULD BE IMC AND THERE WAS A CHANCE OF ICING THE FACT THAT THE WEATHER WAS SO GOOD ONLY A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY, AND THE CONDITIONS I EXPERIENCE ON MY INBOUND FLIGHT, MADE ME THINK THE FLIGHT COULD BE SAFELY MADE. I FILED IFR WITH AN ALTITUDE BELOW THE CEILINGS REPORTED AT HGR AND FDK.

MY DEPARTURE, CLIMB OUT AND INITIAL PART OF THE FLIGHT WAS FINE. THEN AFTER ABOUT 15-20 MINUTES I NOTICED RIME ICE STARTING TO ACCUMULATE ON THE WINGS. KNOWING THIS WAS A DANGEROUS CONDITION I REQUESTED TO DIVERT TO JOHNSTOWN WHICH WAS RELATIVELY CLOSE TO MY POSITION. THE REQUEST WAS GRANTED AND I INITIATED THE ILS 33 APPROACH. DURING THE APPROACH I ENCOUNTERED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN ICE ACCUMULATION BUT THE APPROACH WAS STABLE AND APPEARED NORMAL. WHEN I WAS OVER THE LANDING ZONE I PULLED THE THROTTLE BACK AND BEFORE I COULD INITIATE A FLARE THE NOSE DROPPED AND THE NOSE WHEEL HIT THE RUNWAY BEFORE THE MAINS. I DON?T RECALL IF THERE WAS A BOUNCE TO THE MAINS AND THEN BACK TO THE NOSE BUT THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND I SKIDDED DOWN THE RUNWAY TO A STOP. I TURNED OFF THE POWER AND SECURED THE FUEL SELECTOR THEN EXITED THE AIRCRAFT.

IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE CHECKED THE WEATHER AT JOHNSTOWN FOR A MORE ACCURATE EVALUATION OF THE LOCAL CONDITIONS BEFORE MAKING THE DECISION TO DEPART. HAD I KNOWN THERE WAS PRECIPITATION IN THAT AREA I WOULD HAVE ALTERED MY PLANS. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE KEPT MORE POWER ON DURING THE LANDING TO COMPENSATE FOR THE DEGRADATION IN LIFT CAUSED BY THE ICE WHICH ACCUMULATED ON FINAL APPROACH.

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^