- Date
- March 14, 1999, 12:55 local (19:55 UTC)
- Place
- Angel Fire, NM
- Injuries
- 6 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N2230FCessna 310L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990314038499A
- Case key
- 45919
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 exceeding the airplane's weight and balance limitations. A factor was the high density altitude weather condition.
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
The pilot had the fuel tanks topped-off, and he embarked five passengers with their baggage. He departed on runway 35, and immediately raised the landing gear after liftoff. He felt the airplane 'settle a little,' and he put the landing gear back down. The airplane impacted a fence during the forced landing attempt. The airport's elevation was 8,382 feet msl, and the density altitude was 9,419 feet msl. The airplane's certified maximum gross takeoff weight was 5,200 pounds, and the calculated actual takeoff weight was estimated at 5,459 pounds.
Factual narrative
On March 14, 1999, approximately 1255 mountain standard time, a Cessna 310L, N2230F, was substantially damaged during a forced landing immediately after takeoff from Angel Fire Airport, Angel Fire, New Mexico. The airline transport rated pilot and his five passengers were not injured. The airplane was being operated by a private individual under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country personal flight which was originating at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed, but the pilot reported that the planned destination was Denison, Texas.
The pilot reported that he had the fuel tanks topped-off, and he embarked five passengers with their baggage. He departed on runway 35, and noted that the midfield windsock was indicating a cross wind (ground personnel documented the wind at 270 degrees at 10 gusting to 20 knots). He reported that the airplane lifted off the runway and he immediately raised the landing gear. The pilot said he felt the airplane "settle a little," and he put the landing gear back down. The airplane touched the ground, and impacted a barb wire fence.
The elevation of the airport was 8,382 feet mean sea level (msl), and the density altitude was 9,419 feet msl. The airplane's certified maximum gross takeoff weight was 5,200 pounds, and the calculated actual takeoff weight was estimated at 5,459 pounds (see attached documents).
The airplane's manufacturer representative stated that raising or lowing the airplane's landing gear will reduce the climb performance by 100 to 200 feet per minute while the landing gear is cycling.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2230F
- Reported as
- Cessna 310L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 310L-0030
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-V, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Donald V. Booth
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- AXX
- Destination
- F39 · Sherman/Denison, TX
- Airport
- AXX · Angel Fire, runway 35, 8,900 × 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
- Age
- 39
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 12,590 total · 48 in this make and model · 3,380 as pilot in command · 110 in the last 90 days · 45 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SKX, 13 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.