- Date
- February 24, 2009, 09:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Twentynine Palms, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N210NSCessna T210
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 12, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090224001999A
- Case key
- 73393
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 inadequate compensation for the gusting wind conditions.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he made a normal approach, and on short final a gust of wind forced the airplane down to the ground. The airplane went into soft sand and nosed over. The pilot's passenger reported that prior to reaching the airport for landing, he felt some light turbulence. As the airplane was nearing touchdown he felt turbulence again, and heard the pilot say 'oh no.' The passenger reported that it felt as if the airplane was pushed straight down and the airplane impacted the ground short of the runway. A ground witness about 1/4 mile north of the runway watched as the airplane came in to land. As the airplane approached the runway he saw the tail move sideways and then straighten out; he thought that the wind must have caught it. As the airplane continued on the approach, it seemed normal; however, as it got close to the runway, the airplane appeared to drop suddenly as if it was being forced down by a gust of wind.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he made a normal approach, and on short final a gust of wind forced the airplane down to the ground. The airplane went into soft sand and nosed over. The pilot's passenger reported that prior to reaching the airport for landing, he felt some light turbulence. As the airplane was nearing touchdown he felt turbulence again, and heard the pilot say 'oh no.' The passenger reported that it felt as if the airplane was pushed straight down and the airplane impacted the ground short of the runway. A ground witness about 1/4 mile north of the runway watched as the airplane came in to land. As the airplane approached the runway he saw the tail move sideways and then straighten out; he thought that the wind must have caught it. As the airplane continued on the approach, it seemed normal; however, as it got close to the runway, the airplane appeared to drop suddenly as if it was being forced down by a gust of wind.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N210NS
- Reported as
- Cessna T210
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2106226
- Engine
- Teledyne Continental Motors TSIO-520-R9B, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Brooks L. and Patricia M. Bauer
- Registered owner
- Brooks L. and Patricia M. Bauer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- BLH · Blythe Airport, CA
- Destination
- 61CA · Twenty-Nine Palms, CA
- Airport
- 61CA · Bauer Airport, runway 26, 2,600 × 80 ft, dirt
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
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 29, 2007
- Flight hours
- 389 total · 97 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- NXP, 8 nm away
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 N210NS · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.