- Date
- December 19, 2001, 20:50 local (Dec 20, 2001, 04:50 UTC)
- Place
- San Diego, CA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N7ALCessna T210N
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flt Stnds Dist Office
- FAA report
- 20011219036479A
- Case key
- 53937
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 land on the runway with sufficient runway remaining as a result of his improper IFR procedure by his failure to maintain visual contact with the runway environment, and to execute a missed approach.
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 airplane landed long and continued off the end of the runway into a chain link fence. Nighttime darkness prevailed and the airport weather, observed 3 minutes after the accident, was visibility 1/4 statute mile, vertical visibility 100 feet, with temperature and dew point both 9 degrees Celsius. A sheriff's deputy reported from the accident site that the visibility was 50 to 100 yards in fog. The pilot reported that the accident occurred as he was returning to the departure airport following a 40-minute post maintenance checkflight. He received the airport weather from the Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) recording and was aware that ground fog had developed at the airport. He received air traffic clearance and executed the instrument landing system (ILS) approach. At decision height he was still in visual meteorological conditions and the runway and approach lighting were in sight. The pilot continued his descent below decision height by visual reference and encountered dense fog and severe restriction to visibility at 50 to 75 feet above ground level. The pilot did not feel a go-around was possible at that point and continued the landing approach, landing long on the runway and continuing off the end.
Factual narrative
On December 19, 2001, at 2050 Pacific standard time, a Cessna T210N, N7AL, impacted an airport boundary fence during landing on runway 28R at Montgomery Field Airport, San Diego, California. The airplane was operated by the owner under 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot and two passengers were not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The local area, post maintenance check flight departed from Montgomery Field at 2000. Night, instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight was operating on an instrument flight plan.
The Montgomery Field weather, observed at 2053, was visibility 1/4 statute mile, vertical visibility 100 feet, with temperature and dew point both 9 degrees Celsius. A sheriff's deputy reported from the accident site that the visibility was 50 to 100 yards in fog.
The pilot reported that the accident occurred as he was returning to the departure airport following a 40-minute post maintenance checkflight. He received the airport weather from the Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) recording and was aware that ground fog had developed at the airport. He received air traffic clearance and executed the instrument landing system (ILS) approach to runway 28R. At decision height he was still in visual meteorological conditions and the runway and approach lighting were in sight. The pilot continued his descent below decision height by visual reference and encountered dense fog and severe restriction to visibility at 50 to 75 feet above ground level. The pilot did not feel a go-around was possible at that point and continued the landing approach. The airplane landed long and continued off the end of the runway into a chain link fence.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7AL
- Reported as
- Cessna T210N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21063261
- Airframe hours
- 1,929
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-R, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gerald Blank
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2001 · 60 hours before
- Departed
- MYF · San Diego, CA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- MYF · Montgomery Field, runway 28R, 4,577 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- July 28, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,500 total · 1,350 in this make and model · 3,400 as pilot in command · 36 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night
- Wind
- 360° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 0.25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 100 ft
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- MYF
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.