Pilot Debrief

CESSNA T210 near Palmyra, PA — 2015-06-14

Final reportERA15LA238
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Date
2015-06-14
Location
Palmyra, PA, USA
Airport
58N
Aircraft
CESSNA T210
Registration
N732VN
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Initial climb

Probable cause

The pilot's delay in conducting an aborted landing and his subsequent failure to establish a proper airspeed during the attempted go-around on a hot day, which resulted in the airplane’s inability to climb and a subsequent stall/mush.

NTSB narrative

According to the private pilot, following the personal flight and during the approach, he observed that the windsock was indicating light wind and that it was favoring the use of runway 31. He reported that, during the landing attempt, it felt as if "the braking had little effect," so he released the brakes and then reapplied them. However, he believed that there was insufficient runway remaining to safely stop, so he applied full engine power to attempt a go-around. The airplane lifted off, but it subsequently settled into the corn field at the departure end of the runway, which resulted in damage to the wing and engine mounts. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or abnormalities that would have precluded normal operation, and a postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no preimpact anomalies. An observation from a recording station 5 miles north of the airport indicated that the wind was from the southwest at 6 knots around the time of the accident, which could have resulted in about a 2-knot tailwind. According to the Pilot's Operating Handbook, with a 2-knot tailwind, the airplane would have required about 1,700 ft to land, and the runway had about 1,655 ft of available landing surface. The high temperature at the time of the accident would have decreased the airplane's climb performance by about 20 percent. It is likely that the pilot did not establish a proper airspeed for the go-around and that the high temperature decreased the airplane's climb performance, which resulted in a stall/mush during the attempted go-around.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Controlled flight into terrain
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted the landing earlier to avoid go-around complications.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 9 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents9

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