- Date
- September 5, 2009, 10:40 local (17:40 UTC)
- Place
- Avalon, CA
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2242RCessna T210H
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090905017019A
- Case key
- 74717
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 during approach to landing, which resulted in a hard landing.
Findings · 2
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 while on short final approach to the runway, the airplane encountered a downdraft "that dropped the [air]plane below the glide slope." He immediately noticed a reduction in airspeed. The pilot stated that he applied power and "pulled the nose up in an effort to regain proper altitude." Subsequently, the airplane landed "very hard" and collapsed the nosewheel landing gear. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the firewall was bent and the fuselage behind the aft seating area was buckled. The pilot reported no anomalies with the airplane's systems prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while on short final approach to the runway, the airplane encountered a downdraft "that dropped the [air] plane below the glide slope." He immediately noticed a reduction in airspeed. The pilot stated that he applied power and "pulled the nose up in an effort to regain proper altitude." Subsequently, the airplane landed "very hard" and collapsed the nose wheel landing gear. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the firewall was bent and the fuselage behind the aft seating area was buckled. The pilot reported no anomalies with the airplanes systems prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2242R
- Reported as
- Cessna T210H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T210-0392
- Airframe hours
- 2,420
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Larry Hooper
- Registered owner
- Nicholas Hollis and Larry Hooper
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 2008 · 38 hours before
- Departed
- RAL · Riverside, CA
- Destination
- AVX · Avalon, CA
- Airport
- AVX · Catalina Airport, runway 22, 3,000 × 60 ft, 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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 22, 2009
- Flight hours
- 480 total · 20 in this make and model · 400 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- AVX
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 28, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 627 KB in all.
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 N2242R · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.