- Date
- October 22, 1999, 20:30 local (Oct 23, 1999, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Columbus, GA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7571QCessna 310R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report August 21, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19991022047319A
- Case key
- 47738
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's improper flare that resulted in a hard landing.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The private pilot and flight instructor were performing night touch and go landings. Five landings were executed without incident and the private pilot requested to perform a short field landing for their sixth landing. During the landing, the airplane touched down hard on the right main gear. Examination of the airplane revealed right wing spar, strut, and skin damage. Neither pilot reported any mechanical deficiencies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
On October 22, 1999, at approximately 2030 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 310R, N7571Q, damaged the right wing spar during landing at Columbus Metropolitan Airport in Columbus, Georgia. The instructional flight was conducted by the private pilot under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and a military visual flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the private pilot, flight instructor, and passenger were not injured. The flight departed Maxwell, Alabama, at an undetermined time.
The private pilot and flight instructor were performing night touch and go landings. The flight was a final instruction flight before the private pilot was to take his commercial pilot multiengine land checkride. The flight instructor reported that five landings were executed without incident and the private pilot requested to perform a short field landing, in preparation for his checkride, for their sixth and final landing. During the landing, the airplane touched down hard on the right main gear. After the landing, the flight instructor took control of the airplane and taxied off the runway to the ramp.
Examination of the airplane revealed right wing spar, strut, and skin damage. Neither pilot reported any mechanical deficiencies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7571Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 310R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 310R0068
- Airframe hours
- 5,884
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-M, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Maxwell Gunter Af Aero Club
- Registered owner
- US Air Force
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 17, 1999 · 67 hours before
- Departed
- MXF · Maxwell Afb, AL
- Destination
- CSG
- Airport
- CSG · Columbus Metropolitan, runway 23, 6,998 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 22
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 209 total · 26 in this make and model · 133 as pilot in command · 121 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 250° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CSG
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.