Cessna T206H N562H

Summary

On 8 February 2016 at about 18:31 local time, a Cessna T206H registered N562H was involved in an accident near Billings, Montana, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 February 2016 at 18:31

Classification

Accident

Location

Billings, Montana, United States

Nearest airport

Billings Logan Intl Airport (BIL)

Coordinates

45.8047, -108.5389

Aircraft

Cessna T206H

Registration

N562H

Category

Airplane

Year built

2005

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ten Sleep → Billings

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR16LA073

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s failure to attain a proper flare during landing in gusting wind conditions and low-level wind shear, which resulted in a hard landing and a subsequent loss of directional control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot reported that, just after landing, the airplane began to veer left and exited the side of the runway. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the nose landing gear fork and the right main landing gear strut were fractured in a manner consistent with overload. Examination of the damage to the airplane revealed that the main landing gear attachment points sustained upward crushing and the tail was bent downward; damage consistent with a hard landing. Control continuity was established, and no anomalies were revealed that would have precluded normal operation. Recorded wind information for the time of the accident indicated a 50- to 60-degree crosswind at 8 knots with gusts to 19 knots for the selected runway. Shortly before the airplane landed, a general wind shear warning was broadcast on the airport's tower control frequency. Wind shear was present in the area at altitudes below 2,000 ft above ground level (agl), and review of weather information valid at the time of the accident indicated several areas of clear air turbulence extending from the surface through 14,000 ft agl. Given the damage to the airplane, the surface wind profile, and upper level winds over the terrain, the accident flight likely encountered gusting wind conditions and low-level wind shear while landing. The airplane landed hard, damaging the landing gear, which resulted in the pilot's subsequent inability to maintain directional control.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.