- Date
- October 30, 1993, 10:10 local (17:10 UTC)
- Place
- Spirit Lake, ID
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3057TCessna 320C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 13, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19931030042269A
- Case key
- 41851
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 maintain airspeed. The pilot's failure to maintain directional control was a factor.
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 reported that final approach to the private airstrip was performed under normal operating procedures. The pilot started to flare the airplane when it suddenly dropped and landed hard. The airplane travelled approximately 50 feet and veered to the left side of the airstrip and collided with a dirt bank. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
On October 30, 1993, at 1010 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 320C, N3057T, landed hard at a private dirt strip near Spirit Lake, Idaho, and collided with a dirt bank. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the certificated commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured. The flight had departed from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, on October 30, 1993, at 0900 hours.
During a telephone interview, the pilot reported that final approach to the airstrip was performed under normal operating procedures. The pilot stated that he had just started to flare the airplane when it suddenly dropped and landed hard on the dirt strip. The airplane travelled approximately 50 feet and veered to the left side of the airstrip, where it collided with a dirt bank.
The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane at the time of the accident.
The accident was not reported until November 8, 1993.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3057T
- Reported as
- Cessna 320C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 320C0057
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-470D, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Chapman, E.L.
- Registered owner
- Chapman, E.L.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- COE · Coeur D'Alene, ID
- Airport
- Spirit Lake
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
- 39
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,700 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N3057T · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.