DEN04LA021

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna T210N · Johnstown, CO · November 10, 2003

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
November 10, 2003, 12:05 local (19:05 UTC)
Place
Johnstown, CO
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N6961NCessna T210N
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report March 30, 2004
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
Federal Aviation Administration
FAA report
20031110031849I
Case key
58321

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 maintain directional control during the landing roll. Factors contributing to the accident were the gusting crosswinds.

Analysis

The pilot reported that he was landing to the north. On rollout, approximately halfway down the runway, he encountered a "severe gust of wind from the west." The pilot said the airplane "weathervaned" and went off of the runway, collapsing the nose gear and substantially damaging the nose gear, nose gear bulkheads, cowling, and propeller. An examination of the airplane's systems revealed no anomalies. The wind conditions at the Greeley-Weld Country Airport, Greeley, Colorado, 17 miles northeast of the accident site were 270 degrees at 17 knots with gusts to 21 knots.

Factual narrative

On November 10, 2003, at approximately 1205 mountain standard time, a Cessna T210N, N6961N, was substantially damaged during landing roll on a private airstrip, 2 miles southwest of Johnstown, Colorado. The private pilot, the sole person on board and operator of the airplane, reported no injuries. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The cross-country flight originated at Yuma, Colorado, at 1120.

The pilot reported that he was landing to the north. On rollout, approximately halfway down the runway, he encountered a "severe gust of wind from the west." The pilot said the airplane "weathervaned" and went off of the runway, collapsing the nose gear.

An examination of the airplane at the airstrip showed the nose gear was broken aft. The nose wheel well bulkheads were bent and bucked. The cowling was crushed upward and buckled. One propeller blade was torsionally bent and showed chordwise scratches. Flight control continuity was confirmed. An examination of the engine, engine controls, and other airplane systems showed no anomalies.

At 1155, the wind conditions at the Greeley-Weld Country Airport, Greeley, Colorado, 17 miles northeast of the accident site were 270 degrees at 17 knots with gusts to 21 knots.

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 control - on ground/waterLanding - roll
Directional control - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
Weather condition - crosswindFactor
Weather condition - gustsFactor
On ground/water encounter with terrain/waterLanding - roll
Terrain condition - ground
Nose gear collapsedLanding - roll

Aircraft

Registration
N6961N
Reported as
Cessna T210N
Category
Airplane
Serial number
21063171
Airframe hours
1,701.3
Engine
Continental TSIO-520-R, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Robert P. Starck
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · October 18, 2003 · 2.6 hours before
Departed
2V6 · Yuma, CO
Destination
Johnstown, CO
Airport
Starck Farms Airstrip, runway 36, 3,000 × 40 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
69
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Last flight review
December 16, 2002
Seat
Left
Flight hours
2,406 total · 1,149 in this make and model · 2,406 as pilot in command

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
270° at 17 knots, gusting 21
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
63 °F, dew point 23 °F
Altimeter
29.89 inHg
Observed at
GXY, 17 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.