This November 2007 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Aircraft: Cessna TP206. Location: Boulder, Colo. Injuries: 1 Minor. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The aircraft was being used for skydiving operations. The pilot had dropped the skydivers and then returned to the airport for landing. He entered the traffic pattern behind a training airplane. Concerned he was overtaking the other airplane, he decided to extend his downwind leg. On final approach, the Cessna was still gaining on the other airplane.
The Cessna pilot reduced power and raised the nose to reduce airspeed to 85 mph. The airplane passing over a lake at the approach end of the runway when the pilot realized that he was getting too low. He added power, but was not quick enough to keep the Cessna from touching down on the lakeshore. The shore was soft sand. The nose wheel dug in and the airplane flipped onto its nose. The nose gear was ripped off by the impact.
Probable cause: The pilot’s misjudgment of altitude. Contributing factors in this accident were the pilot’s intentional low airspeed, his failure to execute a go-around, and the soft terrain.
For more information: NTSB.gov
