- Date
- November 30, 2005, 17:35 local (Dec 1, 2005, 01:35 UTC)
- Place
- Lopez Island, WA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N1876ZCessna 210-5
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report March 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20051130028209A
- Case key
- 62920
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from an airport sign during the visual approach. The sign was a factor in the accident.
Analysis
In a written statement the pilot reported that the airplane "drifted" to the left of runway centerline during the visual approach and collided with a runway sign.
Factual narrative
On November 30, 2005, about 1735 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 210-5 (205), N1876Z, sustained substantial damage after colliding with an airport runway designator sign shortly before landing on runway 16 at the Lopez Island Airport, Lopez, Washington. The private pilot and two passengers aboard the airplane were not injured. The airplane is owned by the pilot and was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local flight under the provisions of Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The flight originated from the Orcas Island Airport, Eastsound, Washington, approximately 10 minutes prior to the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the night flight.
In a written statement dated December 10, the pilot reported that the airplane "drifted" to the left of runway centerline during the visual approach and collided with a runway sign.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1876Z
- Reported as
- Cessna 210-5
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2050076
- Engine
- Continental IO-550, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Richard W. Kneipp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- ORS · Eastsound, WA
- Destination
- Lopez Island, WA
- Airport
- S31 · Lopez Island, runway 16, 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
- 61
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 2,281 total · 1,091 in this make and model · 20 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.