Aviation Accident Summaries

Aviation Accident Summary DEN01LA008

SANTA TERESA, NM, USA

Aircraft #1

N5170Y

Cessna T210N

Analysis

During the landing flare, the propeller blades began striking the runway, and the pilot realized that he had forgotten to put the landing gear down. He said that he "pulled up on the yoke, applied power, but the three damaged propeller blades prevented a successful go around." The airplane stalled and impacted the runway. The pilot said that he believes that fatigue was a factor. He said that he had been in an intensive flight-training program all week and had been up since 0530 on the day of the accident.

Factual Information

On October 27, 2000, at approximately 1950 mountain daylight time, a Cessna T210N, N5170Y, was substantially damaged during impact with terrain while the pilot was executing a go-around at Santa Teresa Airport, Santa Teresa, New Mexico. The airline transport pilot, the sole occupant in the airplane, received serious injuries. The pilot was operating the airplane under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight that originated from Wichita, Kansas, approximately 5 hours before the accident. The pilot had filed an instrument flight plan. According to the pilot, during the landing flare, the propeller blades began striking the runway, and he realized that he had forgotten to put the landing gear down. He said that he "pulled up on the yoke, applied power, but the three damaged propeller blades prevented a successful go around." He said that the airplane stalled and impacted the runway. Subsequently, the engine mounts broke, both wing spars bent, and the fuselage was wrinkled. The pilot said that he believes that fatigue was a factor. He said that he had been in an intensive flight-training program all week and had been up since 0530 on the day of the accident.

Probable Cause and Findings

the pilot's failure to follow procedures/directives and lower the landing gear for landing. Contributing factors were the damaged propellers making it impossible to perform a go-around, the inadvertent stall to the runway, and the pilot being in a state of fatigue.

 

Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database

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