DEN01LA008

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna T210N · Santa Teresa, NM · October 29, 2000

Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
October 28, 2000, 19:55 local (Oct 29, 2000, 01:55 UTC)
Place
Santa Teresa, NM
Injuries
1 serious
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N5170YCessna T210N
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
Status
Completed · report November 25, 2003
Report
Approved by Office Director
Case key
50554

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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.

the pilot's failure to follow procedures/directives and lower the landing gear for landing. Contributing factors were the damaged propellers making it impossible to perform a go-around, the inadvertent stall to the runway, and the pilot being in a state of fatigue.

Analysis

During the landing flare, the propeller blades began striking the runway, and the pilot realized that he had forgotten to put the landing gear down. He said that he "pulled up on the yoke, applied power, but the three damaged propeller blades prevented a successful go around." The airplane stalled and impacted the runway. The pilot said that he believes that fatigue was a factor. He said that he had been in an intensive flight-training program all week and had been up since 0530 on the day of the accident.

Factual narrative

On October 27, 2000, at approximately 1950 mountain daylight time, a Cessna T210N, N5170Y, was substantially damaged during impact with terrain while the pilot was executing a go-around at Santa Teresa Airport, Santa Teresa, New Mexico. The airline transport pilot, the sole occupant in the airplane, received serious injuries. The pilot was operating the airplane under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight that originated from Wichita, Kansas, approximately 5 hours before the accident. The pilot had filed an instrument flight plan.

According to the pilot, during the landing flare, the propeller blades began striking the runway, and he realized that he had forgotten to put the landing gear down. He said that he "pulled up on the yoke, applied power, but the three damaged propeller blades prevented a successful go around." He said that the airplane stalled and impacted the runway. Subsequently, the engine mounts broke, both wing spars bent, and the fuselage was wrinkled.

The pilot said that he believes that fatigue was a factor. He said that he had been in an intensive flight-training program all week and had been up since 0530 on the day of the accident.

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.

Wheels up landingLanding - flare/touchdown
Gear extension - not performedPilot in commandCause
Fatigue(flight and ground schedule)Pilot in commandFactor
Procedures/directives - not followedPilot in commandCause
Terrain condition - runway
Propeller system/accessories,blade - blade strikeFactor
Loss of control - in flightGo-around (vfr)
Go-around - not possiblePilot in command
Airspeed - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
Stall/mush - inadvertentPilot in command
In flight collision with terrain/waterDescent - uncontrolled
Terrain condition - runway

Aircraft

Registration
N5170Y
Reported as
Cessna T210N
Category
Airplane
Serial number
21064106
Airframe hours
3,375
Engine
Continental TSIO520R, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Greer W. Craig
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
100 hour · August 1, 2000 · 17 hours before
Departed
ICT · Wichita, KS
Destination
5T6 · NM
Flight plan
VFR
Airport
5T6 · Dona Ana County Airport, runway 10, 8,500 × 100 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
Injuries
Serious
Certificates
Flight instructor, Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Seat
Left
Flight hours
2,985 total · 457 in this make and model · 2,825 as pilot in command · 58 in the last 90 days · 33 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
Wind
140° at 9 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
72 °F, dew point 36 °F
Altimeter
29.00 inHg
Observed at
5T6