- Date
- July 31, 2008, 12:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Tecumseh, MI
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N260MAero Commander 200D
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration - Detroit FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080731844129A
- Case key
- 68788
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 flaring too high, and his inadvertent pilot-induced oscillation during the landing flare/touchdown. Contributing to the accident was the collapse of the nose landing gear.
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 pilot reported that the landing approach was uneventful up to the flare and touchdown. He increased engine power just prior to landing because he thought the airplane was slow. He flared higher than normal, and then the airplane "hit hard" on all three landing gear. The airplane began to porpoise, contacting the runway alternately with the nose and main landing gear, but eventually settled onto all three landing gear. The airplane then made an uncommanded left swerve that the pilot was unable to counteract. The nose landing gear separated from the airplane when the airplane nose impacted a non-breakaway steel runway light. The airplane then nosed over in the grass easement off the left side of the runway. The cabin roof, engine firewall, rudder, and vertical stabilizer were substantially damaged.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that the landing approach was uneventful up to the flare and touchdown. He increased engine power just prior to landing because he thought the airplane was slow. He rounded-out and flared higher than normal, and then the airplane "hit hard" on all three landing gear. The airplane began to porpoise between the nose and main landing gear, but eventually settled onto all three landing gear. The airplane then made an uncommanded left swerve that the pilot was unable to counteract. The nose landing gear separated from the airplane when the airplane nose impacted a non-breakaway steel runway light. The airplane then nosed over in the grass easement off the left side of the runway. The cabin roof, engine firewall, rudder, and vertical stabilizer were substantially damaged. The pilot was seriously injured with a broken neck. The airplane was not equipped with shoulder harnesses.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N260M
- Reported as
- Aero Commander 200D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 298
- Airframe hours
- 1,721.9
- Engine
- Teledyne Continental IO-520-A, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2008
- Departed
- 4N0 · Kalamazoo, MI
- Destination
- 3TE · Tecumseh, MI
- Airport
- 3TE · Meyers - Diver's Airport, runway 36, 2,660 × 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 78
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,000 total · 1,800 in this make and model · 6,000 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.77 inHg
- Observed at
- ADG, 11 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.