- Date
- July 17, 2008, 08:40 local (14:40 UTC)
- Place
- Van Horn, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6882BCessna T210M
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Albuquerque, NM
- FAA report
- 20080717844529A
- Case key
- 68473
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 failure to maintain altitude due to his diverted attention. Contributing to the accident was complications manually extending the landing gear.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The private pilot positioned the landing gear handle to the "gear down" position in preparation for landing. The gear did not extend and the circuit breaker popped. His attempts to reset the circuit was unsuccessful. The pilot then turned toward an unpopulated, desert area and attempted to lower the landing gear through the hand pump. There was no pressure on the pump handle and it was determined that the hydraulic reservoir was low. The pilot, with the assistance of his passenger, opened the reservoir and added water to regain pressure and extend the landing gear. The gear appeared to be down with a visual check but there was no "down and locked" indication on the instrument panel. The pilot diverted his attention inside the cockpit in an attempt to troubleshoot the system. During this time, the airplane impacted the ground in a near level attitude. The nose gear was torn off, the propeller was damaged, and the left wing was substantially damaged. The airplane came to rest in the upright position. The pilot and his passenger were not injured and were able to egress unassisted. The pilot stated in the Pilot/Operator Report that the accident could have been prevented if he had remembered to keep flying the airplane.
Factual narrative
The private pilot positioned the landing gear handle to the "gear down" position in preparation for landing. The gear did not extend and the circuit breaker popped. The attempt to reset the circuit, but was unsuccessful. The pilot then turned toward an unpopulated, desert area and attempted to lower the landing gear through the hand pump. There was no pressure on the pump handle and it was determined that the hydraulic reservoir was low. The pilot, with the assistance of his passenger, opened the reservoir and added water to regain pressure and extend the landing gear. The gear appeared to be down with a visual check but there was no "down and locked" indication on the instrument panel. The pilot diverted his attention inside the cockpit in an attempt to troubleshoot the system. During this time, the airplane impacted the ground in a near level attitude. The nose gear was torn off, the propeller was damaged, and the left wing was substantially damaged. The airplane came to rest in the upright position. The pilot and his passenger were not injured and were able to egress unassisted. The pilot stated in the Pilot/Operator Report that the accident could have been prevented if he had remembered to keep flying the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6882B
- Reported as
- Cessna T210M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21062850
- Airframe hours
- 4,900
- Engine
- Teledyne Continental TSIO-520, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2007 · 105 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Fort Davis, TX
- Destination
- KVHN · Van Horn, TX
- Airport
- KVHN · Culberson County Airport
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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,600 total · 3,500 in this make and model · 4,530 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.21 inHg
- Observed at
- KGDP, 40 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.