- Date
- October 4, 2018, 19:20 local (Oct 5, 2018, 00:20 UTC)
- Place
- Marathon, TX
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N553CMCessna 310
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Wildlife encounter (non-bird)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 5, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20181004016679A
- Case key
- 98416
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 see and avoid a cow on the airstrip during landing.
Findings · 2
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, during landing on a private dirt airstrip on his ranch, the airplane collided with a cow. The pilot added that he did not see the cow during the approach or on the runway during touchdown. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and right engine mounts. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during landing on a private dirt airstrip on his ranch, the airplane collided with a cow. The pilot added that he did not see the cow during the approach or on the runway during touchdown. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and right engine mounts. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N553CM
- Reported as
- Cessna 310 (R)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 310R0169
- Built
- 1974
- Airframe hours
- 7,149
- Engines
- Continental IO 550A2B, 300 horsepower, reciprocatingContinental IO 520 A2B, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Cessna 205 Llc
- Registered owner
- Cessna 205 Llc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 4, 2018
- Departed
- RYW · Lago Vista, TX
- Destination
- PVT · Marathon, TX
- Airport
- PVT · Desert Mountain Ranch
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot
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
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 29, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 6,000 total · 350 in this make and model · 5,100 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 11 knots
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- K6R6, 28 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 11, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.8 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.