- Date
- April 30, 2004, 12:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Taunton, MA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2070ECessna 305 A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 1, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20040430007189A
- Case key
- 59149
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 pilots inadequate pre-flight planning which resulted in a landing on soft terrain and subsequent nose over. A factor was the soft terrain.
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
Upon touching down on a soft grass area adjacent to a runway, the landing gear sank into the ground and the airplane nosed over. The pilot stated that he did not check the condition of the grass area prior to landing.
Factual narrative
On April 30, 2004, about 1200 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 305A, N2070E, was substantially damaged while landing at the Taunton Municipal Airport (TAN), Taunton, Massachusetts. The certificated private pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR part 91.
The pilot was attempting to land on a grass area adjacent to runway 30, a 3500-foot-long, 75-foot-wide, asphalt runway. In a written statement, the pilot stated that upon touchdown on the grass, the landing gear sank into the soft ground and the airplane nosed over.
Examination to the airplane revealed damage to the propeller and landing gear.
The pilot stated that he did not check the condition of the grass area prior to landing.
The pilot reported 3,050 hours of total flight experience, which included 450 hours in the same make and model of the accident airplane.
Winds reported at Taunton, at 1152, were from 210 degrees at 11 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2070E
- Reported as
- Cessna 305 A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22817
- Airframe hours
- 8,575
- Engine
- Continental O 470 11B, 213 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert A. Smith
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 2, 2003 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- 1B9 · Mansfield, MA
- Destination
- TAN · Taunton, MA
- Airport
- TAN · Taunton Municipal Airport, runway 30, grass/turf
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 76
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- September 14, 2003
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 3,050 total · 450 in this make and model · 3,050 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.22 inHg
- Observed at
- TAN
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.