- Date
- July 27, 1993, 09:40 local (15:40 UTC)
- Place
- Wray, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3617XAero Commander 100-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 19, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930727025729A
- Case key
- 18304
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 compensation for the wind conditions and improper recovery from a bounced landing. The gusty crosswind was a factor.
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
In his first landing attempt to runway 32, the pilot used 30 degrees of flaps but the airplane became uncontrollable during the flare and the landing was aborted. A second landing attempt was abandoned due to departing traffic. On the third landing attempt, the pilot used 10 degrees of flaps and a slightly higher approach speed. Again, the airplane yawed to the left and the pilot said slight rudder application resulted in full rudder deflection. The pilot said he was slow in recovering and adding full power to go around. The airplane impacted the runway, slid approximately 100 feet, and caught fire. A witness said the airplane landed hard, bounced, assumed a nose high attitude, stalled, and impacted the runway. Post accident examination disclosed no evidence of rudder or other flight control discrepancies. Pilot reported wind was from 350 degrees at 10 miles per hour gusting to 25.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3617X
- Reported as
- Aero Commander 100-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5093
- Airframe hours
- 1,300
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A2F, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Carson, Omer L.
- Registered owner
- Carson, Omer L.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 23, 1992 · 45 hours before
- Departed
- 1V5 · Boulder, CO
- Destination
- 2V5
- Airport
- 2V5 · Wray Municipal, runway 32, 5,000 × 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
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 104 total · 99 in this make and model · 104 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 10 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.