- Date
- April 4, 1999, 12:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Ramona, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N756CFCessna U206G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 30, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990404003019A
- Case key
- 46021
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 failure to maintain an adequate airspeed margin to compensate for the variable wind conditions existing at the time of the landing.
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 flew to Ramona to practice takeoffs and landings. During the accident sequence, the aircraft was on short final and configured with full flaps at a normal approach speed when a very high sink rate suddenly developed. The pilot said he was unable to arrest the descent before colliding with the ground. He further stated that during the prior landings, the winds had been variable 10 degrees or more on either side of the runway heading and he believed he encountered a wind shear. The aviation surface weather observation (METAR) at Ramona taken 11 minutes after the accident reported winds from 260 at 7 knots, variable from 230 to 290 degrees.
Factual narrative
On April 4, 1999, at 1245 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna U206G, N756CF, collided with the ground short of runway 27 while landing at the Ramona, California, airport. The aircraft was operated by Pinnacle Aviation of Carlsbad, California, and rented by the private pilot for a local area personal flight under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 of the Federal Aviation Regulations. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. One passenger sustained minor injuries and the pilot and one other passenger were not injured. The flight originated at the Carlsbad airport on the day of the accident at 1200.
In a telephone interview with a Safety Board investigator, the pilot said he flew to Ramona to practice takeoffs and landings. During the accident sequence, the aircraft was on short final and configured with full flaps at a normal approach speed when a very high sink rate suddenly developed. The pilot said he was unable to arrest the descent before colliding with the ground. He further stated that during the prior landings, the winds had been variable 10 degrees or more on either side of the runway heading and he believed he encountered a wind shear.
The aviation surface weather observation (METAR) at Ramona taken 11 minutes after the accident reported winds from 260 at 7 knots, variable from 230 to 290 degrees.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N756CF
- Reported as
- Cessna U206G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- U20603978
- Airframe hours
- 2,449
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-F, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Pinnacle Aviation
- Registered owner
- Meyers & Pollard Pc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 18, 1998 · 58 hours before
- Departed
- CRQ · Carlsbad, CA
- Destination
- RNM
- Airport
- RNM · Ramona, runway 27, 4,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 35
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 347 total · 50 in this make and model · 277 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RNM
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.