Cessna 205 N1854Z

Summary

On 5 September 1999 at about 21:08 local time, a Cessna 205 registered N1854Z was involved in an accident near Gualala, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

5 September 1999 at 21:08

Classification

Accident

Location

Gualala, California, United States

Nearest airport

Ocean Ridge (Q69)

Coordinates

38.8210, -123.5097

Aircraft

Cessna 205

Registration

N1854Z

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Watsonville → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX99LA297

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to attain a proper touchdown point due to his misjudgment of the aircraft's speed, altitude, and distance to the runway. The pilot's failure to initiate a go-around is also causal.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

Approaching the airport, the pilot observed the windsock and noted it indicated calm wind conditions. He chose to land on runway 13. The airport manager observed the airplane land and opined that its approach had been too high. The pilot reported that he had never been to the airport and acknowledged that his approach was high and he touched down long. With insufficient runway to decelerate, the airplane skidded 150 feet off the runway's departure end and impacted trees. The FAA's Airport Facility Directory indicated that runway 13 is 2,500 feet long and has a 400-foot displaced threshold due to the presence of trees. During calm wind conditions, runway 31 should be used.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.