CHI05LA129

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 210B · Friendship, WI · May 30, 2005

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
May 29, 2005, 22:00 local (May 30, 2005, 03:00 UTC)
Place
Friendship, WI
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Approach
Aircraft
N9623XCessna 210B
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
Status
Completed · report March 28, 2006
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
Federal Aviation Administration - Milwaukee FSDO
FAA report
20050529034339A
Case key
61784

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 loss of engine power for an undetermined reason. Contributing factors to the accident were the trees and the dark night light condition.

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.

Loss of engine powerGo-around (vfr)
Reason for occurrence undeterminedCause
Forced landingEmergency descent/landing
In flight collision with objectEmergency descent/landing
Light condition - dark nightFactor
Object - tree(s)Factor
In flight collision with terrain/waterDescent - uncontrolled
Terrain condition - ground

Analysis

The airplane impacted trees and terrain during a forced landing at night following a loss of engine power. The pilot reported that when the airplane crossed the approach end of the runway he initiated a go-around because the airplane was a "little high." The pilot stated that he "visually confirmed mixture and prop controls were full forward, smoothly applied full throttle, and pitched for [a] level flight attitude." The pilot reported that engine power momentarily increased but was "quickly followed by abnormal noises and [a] loss of power." The pilot stated that the airplane was "too far down the runway" to land on the remaining pavement and an off-airport forced landing was performed. The airplane came to rest along the extended runway centerline in a forested area, approximately 1,007 feet from the departure end of the runway. After the accident, 14 gallons of fuel were recovered from the left fuel tank and 8 gallons were recovered from the right fuel tank. The engine did not experience any hesitation, stumbling, or interruption in engine operation during an engine test run. The engine demonstrated the ability to produce rated horsepower.

Factual narrative

On May 29, 2005, at 2200 central daylight time, a Cessna 210B, N9623X, owned and piloted by a commercial pilot, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Adams County Airport, Friendship, Wisconsin. The pilot was attempting a go-around from runway 33 (3,400 feet by 60 feet, asphalt) when the aircraft experienced a loss of engine power. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot and his passenger were not injured. The flight originated from Warren County Regional Airport, Bowling Green, Kentucky, at 1800.

The pilot reported that when the airplane crossed the approach end of runway 33 he initiated a go-around because the airplane was a "little high." The pilot stated that he "visually confirmed mixture and prop controls were full forward, smoothly applied full throttle, and pitched for [a] level flight attitude." The pilot reported that engine power momentarily increased but was "quickly followed by abnormal noises and [a] loss of power." The pilot stated that the airplane was "too far down the runway" to land on the remaining pavement and an off-airport forced landing was performed. The airplane came to rest along the extended runway centerline in a forested area, approximately 1,000 feet from the departure end of the runway.

After the accident, a salvage company drained the airplane's fuel system to facilitate movement of the wreckage. The salvage company reported that 14 gallons of fuel were drained from the left fuel tank and 8 gallons were drained from the right fuel tank.

The engine, a Teledyne Continental Motors IO-470-S, was sent to the manufacturer for an operational test run under the supervision of the NTSB investigator-in-charge. The engine was installed in a test cell and outfitted with a test club propeller. The engine started on the first attempt and idled without excessive fluctuations in engine RPM. The engine speed was increased incrementally to 2,625 RPM over a period of 30 minutes. The engine ran at each incremental power setting for a period of 5 minutes without anomaly. The engine throttle was cycled several times between idle and maximum power settings in quick succession. The engine did not experience any hesitation, stumbling, or interruption in engine operation during the engine test run. The engine demonstrated the ability to produce rated horsepower.

Aircraft

Registration
N9623X
Reported as
Cessna 210B
Category
Airplane
Serial number
21057923
Airframe hours
3,378.26
Engine
Teledyne Continental IO-470-S, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · June 1, 2004 · 140.05 hours before
Departed
BWG · Bowling Green, KY
Destination
63C · Friendship, WI
Airport
63C · Adams County Airport, runway 33, 3,400 × 60 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
56
Injuries
None
Certificates
Commercial, Flight instructor
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
July 1, 2004
Seat
Left
Flight hours
2,608 total · 588 in this make and model · 2,337 as pilot in command · 129 in the last 90 days · 21 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
Wind
30° at 11 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
70 °F, dew point 45 °F
Altimeter
29.89 inHg
Observed at
ISW, 24 nm away

FAA reports on this event · 1

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