- Date
- November 30, 1993, 14:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Maybell, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6613NCessna A185F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 1, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19931130045349A
- Case key
- 18971
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 ascertain the condition of the landing area. The snow covered condition of the runway 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
The pilot said he encountered rough air while on final approach, 'almost like wind shear,' but he was able to maintain control of the airplane. The airplane touched down, rolled a short distance, then nosed over. The pilot then discovered the runway was covered with seven to eight inches of 'very wet, heavy, and crusty' snow.
Factual narrative
On November 30, 1993, at approximately 1400 mountain standard time, N6613N, a Cessna A185F, was substantially damaged during landing at a private airstrip, located about 33 miles west of Maybell, Colorado. The commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed for the business flight.
The following is based on information provided by the pilot in his Pilot/Operator report. During the initial part of the approach, the air was turbulent and as the aircraft was flared for landing, it encountered "rough air...almost like wind shear." He was able to maintain control and the airplane touched down on the runway. After a short landing roll, the airplane nosed over.
After the accident, the pilot discovered the runway was covered with seven to eight inches of "very wet, heavy, and crusty" snow. He wrote, "I figure the heavy snow was the main factor in causing the plane to flip over."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6613N
- Reported as
- Cessna A185F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 185-04312
- Airframe hours
- 1,627
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Treece, Jack M.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 11, 1993 · 11 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Fruita, CO
- Airport
- NONE · Split Rock Ranch, runway 18, 3,000 × 90 ft, grass/turf
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
- 60
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,113 total · 1,560 in this make and model · 3,680 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.