FTW02LA131

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 210 · Albuquerque, NM · April 27, 2002

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
April 26, 2002, 19:15 local (Apr 27, 2002, 01:15 UTC)
Place
Albuquerque, NM
Injuries
3 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N6394BCessna 210
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report April 8, 2003
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
FAA FSDO
FAA report
20020426007479A
Case key
54599

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

the pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions resulting in a hard landing. A contributing factor was the gusty winds.

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.

Hard landingLanding - flare/touchdown
Weather condition - gustsFactor
Compensation for wind conditions - inadequatePilot in commandCause

Analysis

According to the pilot, during the initial touchdown on runway 21, in day visual meteorological conditions, the airplane became airborne and "in an instant later slammed on the nose wheel." The nose landing gear tire had a "blow-out," and the airplane slid to a stop. The pilot reported that during the landing, the wind was from 190 degrees at 27 knots gusting to 39 knots. The weather observation facility at the airport reported the wind from 200 degrees at 20 knots with gusts to 36 knots.

Factual narrative

On April 26, 2002, at 1915 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 210 single-engine airplane, N6394B, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing at the Albuquerque International Sunport Airport, at Albuquerque, New Mexico. The airplane was owned by Cabezon Leasing, LLC, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and operated by Mountain Aviation, of Tijeras, New Mexico, under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The airline transport rated pilot and his two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross-country flight, and a flight plan was not filed. The flight originated at Farmington, New Mexico, approximately 1800.

The pilot reported that after the initial touchdown on runway 21, the airplane became airborne and "in an instant later slammed on the nose wheel." The nose landing gear tire had a "blow-out," and the airplane slid to a stop.

The FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, found structural damage at the engine firewall.

The pilot reported that during the landing, the wind was from 190 degrees at 27 knots gusting to 39 knots. At 1856, the weather observation facility at Albuquerque reported the wind from 200 degrees at 20 knots with gusts to 36 knots. At 1956, the weather observation facility at Albuquerque reported the wind from 190 degrees at 21 knots with gusts to 26 knots.

Aircraft

Registration
N6394B
Reported as
Cessna 210
Category
Airplane
Serial number
57459
Airframe hours
3,015.8
Engine
Continental IO-470-E, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Mountain Aviation
Registered owner
Cabezon Leasing, LLC
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
100 hour · April 6, 2002 · 17.8 hours before
Departed
FMN · Farmington, NM
Destination
ABQ · Albuquerque, NM
Airport
ABQ · Albuquerque Intl. Sunport, runway 21, 10,000 × 150 ft, concrete

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
53
Injuries
None
Certificates
Flight instructor, Commercial, Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Last flight review
October 12, 2001
Seat
Left
Flight hours
8,935 total · 712 in this make and model · 8,706 as pilot in command · 74 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
190° at 27 knots, gusting 39
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
167 °F, dew point 84 °F
Altimeter
29.62 inHg

Docket · 2

The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 19, 2002, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 773 KB 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.