Aircraft: Cessna 310Q. Injuries: None. Location: Romeoville, Ill. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The pilot reported that she checked the weather prior to departing on the cross-country flight and it appeared that an area of icing had cleared out near the destination airport.
While descending through 4,000 feet near the destination, the airplane began to pick up ice quickly. She reported the icing to ATC and cycled the deice boots several times. She was unable to determine how much ice was accumulating on the airplane. She made the landing approach using normal approach speeds. The airplane touched down hard, resulting in substantial damage to the internal structure of the left wing.
After the landing she noticed ice was visible along the leading edge of the wings. She stated that she should have maintained a higher airspeed during the approach and landing to prevent the accident.
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the approach to compensate for the ice accumulated on the airframe, which resulted in a hard landing.
NTSB Identification: CEN11CA199
This February 2011 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.
