- Date
- September 1, 2009, 09:25 local (15:25 UTC)
- Place
- Rio Blanco, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6686ECessna 175
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 3, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Salt Lake City FSDO, FAA Denver FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090901020039A
- Case key
- 74938
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 failure to maintain directional control during landing and his failure to execute a go-around.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The airplane was landing at a 2,100-foot-long dirt and turf remote mountain airstrip in dry conditions with clear skies and calm wind. During the flare and initial touchdown, the pilot allowed the airplane to drift to the left edge of the runway and the nose gear of the airplane struck a runway edge marker. According to the pilot, that impact "forcefully bounced the aircraft back in the air while dragging the tail." The airplane then "landed hard but controllably" on the left edge of the runway and the pilot steered the airplane back onto the runway. There was substantial damage to the forward fuselage and nose gear, but no injuries to the pilot.
Factual narrative
The airplane was landing at a 2,100 foot long dirt and turf remote mountain airstrip in dry conditions with clear skies and calm wind. During the flare and initial touchdown the pilot allowed the airplane to drift to the left edge of the runway and the nose gear of the airplane struck a runway edge marker. According to the pilot that impact “forcefully bounced the aircraft back in the air while dragging the tail”. The airplane then “landed hard but controllably” on the left edge of the runway and the pilot steered the airplane back onto the runway. There was substantial damage to the forward fuselage and nose gear, but no injuries to the solo pilot.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6686E
- Reported as
- Cessna 175
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 56186
- Airframe hours
- 3,756
- Engine
- Continental O-470, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Shelton Drilling Corp
- Registered owner
- Shelton Drilling Corp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2009 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- KGWS · GlenwoodSprings, CO
- Destination
- NONE · Rio Blanco, CO
- Airport
- NONE · Bishop's Cabin Airstrip, runway 19, 2,100 × 50 ft, grass/turf
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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 20, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,938 total · 490 in this make and model · 1,900 as pilot in command · 37 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 3, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 441 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.