- Date
- July 2, 2012, 11:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- West Glacier, MT
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8450ZCessna 210-5
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 4, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20120702012919A
- Case key
- 84154
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 elected to abort the takeoff without sufficient runway available to land and stop the airplane. Contributing to the accident was the illusion created by the rising terrain, which influenced the pilot's decision to abort the takeoff.
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 the airplane accelerated normally on the takeoff roll. It became airborne between 1,000 and 1,200 feet down the 2,500-foot runway, had a positive rate of climb, but was not climbing as he would have expected. The pilot elected to abort the takeoff and reduced power but then realized that he did not have enough runway remaining to land. As the pilot was adding power to abort the landing the airplane contacted the ground, departed the runway, and came to rest about 1/4 mile beyond the end of the runway after colliding with a log. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot stated that he felt the optical illusion of rising terrain and a rising runway caused him to feel that the airplane was not climbing adequately.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that the airplane accelerated normally on the takeoff roll, became airborne between 1,000 and 1,200 feet down the 2,500-foot runway, had a positive rate of climb, but wasn’t climbing as he would have expected. The pilot elected to abort the takeoff and reduced power, but then realized that he did not have enough runway remaining to land. As the pilot was adding power to abort the landing the airplane contacted the ground, departed the runway and came to rest about one-quarter mile beyond the end of the runway after colliding with a log. The pilot stated that he felt the optical illusion of rising terrain and a rising runway caused him to feel that the airplane was not climbing adequately.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8450Z
- Reported as
- Cessna 210-5
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 205-0450
- Airframe hours
- 2,805
- Engine
- Continental IO-470S, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Richard G Finkle
- Registered owner
- Richard G Finkle
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 10, 2011 · 114 hours before
- Departed
- 2MT1 · West Glacier, MT
- Destination
- 8U2 · Schafer Meadows, MT
- Airport
- 2MT1 · Ryan Field, runway 15, 2,500 × 50 ft, grass/turf
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
- 67
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 5, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,295 total · 7,181 in this make and model · 7,181 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- GPI, 15 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 1, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.6 MB 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.