CEN11LA210

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna LC42-550FG · Llano, TX · February 27, 2011

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
February 27, 2011, 15:30 local (21:30 UTC)
Place
Llano, TX
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N1018QCessna LC42-550FG
Defining event
Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report November 17, 2011
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Central Region
Parties
FAA Flight Standards District Office
FAA report
20110227006539A
Case key
78460

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing.

Findings · 1

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.

Action: incorrect action performancePersonnel issues › Action/decision · Instructor/check pilotCessna LC42-550FG: 1 caseAll aircraft: 1,386 casesProbable cause

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

According to the pilot, during the landing the airplane bounced twice. When it touched down the second time, it bounced higher. The pilot lowered the nose and flared, but the airplane touched down slightly nose low, and the nose gear failed. The airplane slid approximately 1,000 feet down the runway on its nose gear strut and propeller. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the nose gear, propeller, left main landing gear, and left wing.

Factual narrative

On February 27, 2011, approximately 1530 central standard time, a Cessna LC42-550FG, N1018Q, was substantially damaged during a hard landing at Llano Municipal Airport, Llano, Texas. The flight instructor and pilot on board the airplane were not injured. The cross country flight was registered to and operated by the pilot in command under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated on no flight plan. The flight originated from Conroe, Texas, at 1310 central standard time. According to a written statement provided by the pilot-in-command (PIC), the airplane bounced slightly and settled back onto the runway. When it touched down a second time, it bounced higher. The nose was lowered and the PIC attempted to flare, but the airplane did not respond. The airplane landed slightly nose low and the nose gear failed. The airplane slid approximately 1,000 feet down the runway on its nose gear and propeller. The airplane's nose gear, propeller, left main landing gear, and left wing were substantially damaged.

Aircraft

Registration
N1018Q
Reported as
Cessna LC42-550FG
Category
Airplane
Serial number
421018
Engine
Continental IO-550-N, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Operator
Chemtec Aviation LLC
Registered owner
Chemtec Aviation LLC
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Utility
Departed
CXO · Conroe, TX
Destination
AQO · Llano, TX
Airport
AQO · Llano Municipal, runway 17, 4,202 × 75 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 · 2

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Flight instructor
Age
61
Injuries
None
Certificates
Commercial, Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
February 26, 2011
Seat
Right
Flight hours
2,404 total · 13 in this make and model · 2,404 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days
Role
Pilot
Age
36
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
February 26, 2011
Seat
Left
Flight hours
130 total · 10 in this make and model

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
200° at 11 knots, gusting 15
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
84 °F, dew point 57 °F
Altimeter
29.57 inHg
Observed at
AQO

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.