- Date
- May 26, 2004, 17:20 local (23:20 UTC)
- Place
- Peyton, CO
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4173YBellanca 7KCAB
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 29, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20040526010179A
- Case key
- 59386
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's inadequate in-flight planning and decision making and his failure to maintain aircraft control during the landing flare which resulted in impact with terrain. Contributing factors include the pilot's failure to perform a go-around and the wind gust.
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.
Analysis
According to the pilot, as he returned to Meadow Lake, he received weather conditions from the local Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS). ASOS reported winds from 250 degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 17 knots. The pilot decided to "attempt a landing." While on final approach for runway 33, the pilot noticed that his rate of descent had increased to approximately 1000 feet per minute. The pilot added engine power, and increased the airplane's angle of attack and bank, to compensate for the crosswind conditions. The pilot said that during the flare, the airplane "floated" and he had to fly at an "unsafe bank angle...to maintain [runway] centerline." The pilot decided to abort the landing and added full power for a go-around. The pilot said, at approximately 10 to 25 feet above the ground, a gust of wind struck the airplane and although he was not able to maintain runway centerline, the airplane "seemed to be controllable." The pilot said he was unable to maintain level flight and the airplane continued to drift to the right of the runway centerline. When he entered a 20 to 30 degree right bank to avoid some trees, the airplane's right wing struck the ground. The airplane cart wheeled several times causing substantial damage to the airplane's fuselage, wings, and empennage.
Factual narrative
On May 26, 2004, at approximately 1720 mountain daylight time, a Bellanca 7KCAB, N4173Y, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during landing at Meadow Lake Airport (00V), Peyton, Colorado. The private pilot sustained minor injuries and the passenger was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The local personal flight was being conducted under provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a fight plan. The flight originated at approximately 1630.
According to the pilot, as he returned to Meadow Lake, he received weather conditions from the local Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS). ASOS reported winds from 250 degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 17 knots. The pilot decided to "attempt a landing." While on final approach for runway 33, the pilot noticed that his rate of descent had increased to approximately 1000 feet per minute. The pilot added engine power, and increased the airplane's angle of attack and bank, to compensate for the crosswind conditions. The pilot said that during the flare, the airplane "floated" and he had to fly at an "unsafe bank angle...to maintain [runway] centerline." The pilot decided to abort the landing and added full power for a go-around.
The pilot said, at approximately 10 to 25 feet above the ground, a gust of wind struck the airplane and although he was not able to maintain runway centerline, the airplane "seemed to be controllable." The pilot said he was unable to maintain level flight and the airplane continued to drift to the right of the runway centerline. When he entered a 20 to 30 degree right bank to avoid some trees, the airplane's right wing struck the ground. The airplane cart wheeled several times causing substantial damage to the airplane's fuselage, wings, and empennage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4173Y
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7KCAB
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 598-077
- Airframe hours
- 5,743.8
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Allen Short
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special); Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 7, 2003 · 121.2 hours before
- Departed
- 00V · Peyton, CO
- Destination
- 00V · Peyton, CO
- Airport
- 00V · Meadow Lake, runway 33, 6,000 × 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
- 20
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- November 15, 2003
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 241 total · 28 in this make and model · 141 as pilot in command · 37 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 16 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.75 inHg
- Observed at
- KCOS, 10 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.