- Date
- June 26, 2017, 07:41 local (11:41 UTC)
- Place
- Vinalhaven, ME
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N207GMCessna 207
- Defining event
- Landing-aborted after touchdown: Landing area overshoot
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 24, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170626005969A
- Case key
- 95433
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 a stabilized approach, which resulted in a bounced landing and subsequent go-around with insufficient distance to clear trees during the climb.
Findings · 5
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 pilot reported that the approach appeared normal, but during the landing on the 1,500-ft-long gravel strip, the airplane firmly struck the runway and bounced. He added that the bounce was high and that the remaining runway was too short to correct the landing with power. The pilot chose to go around, applying full power and 20° of flaps for the balked landing procedure. During the climb, the airplane drifted left toward 50-ft-tall trees about 150 ft from the departure end of the runway. Unable to climb over the trees, the airplane struck the tree canopy, the nose dropped, and the pilot instinctively reduced power as the airplane descended through the trees and impacted terrain. The wings and fuselage were substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that the approach appeared normal, but during the landing on the 1,500 ft gravel strip, the airplane firmly struck the runway and bounced. He added that the bounce was high, and the remaining runway was too short to correct the landing with power. The pilot elected to go-around, applying full power and 20° of flaps for the balked landing procedure. During the climb, the airplane drifted to the left towards the 50 ft trees about 150 ft from the departure end of runway 24. Unable to climb over the trees, the airplane struck the tree canopy; the nose dropped and the pilot instinctively reduced power as the airplane descended through the trees and impacted terrain. The wings and fuselage were substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N207GM
- Reported as
- Cessna 207 (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20700217
- Built
- 1973
- Airframe hours
- 12,458
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-LCF, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Waters Aero Marine Inc, doing business as Penobscot Island Air
- Registered owner
- Waters Aero Marine Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 23, 2017
- Departed
- RKD · Rockland, ME
- Destination
- ME55 · Vinalhaven, ME
- Airport
- ME55 · Vinalhaven, runway 24, 1,510 × 60 ft, gravel
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 65
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 5, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 15,438 total · 356 in this make and model · 10,655 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- RKD, 9 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 27, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.5 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.