Honda HA-420 N118CX

Summary

On 6 March 2023 at about 01:09 local time, a Honda HA-420 registered N118CX, operated by G C Aviation, Inc., was involved in an accident near Buena Vista, Colorado, United States. 2 people were 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

6 March 2023 at 01:09

Classification

Accident

Location

Buena Vista, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Central Colorado Regional Airp (KAEJ)

Coordinates

38.8140, -106.1208

Aircraft

Honda HA-420

Registration

N118CX

Category

Airplane

Year built

2022

Engines

2

Operator

G C Aviation, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Monterey → Buena Vista

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

CEN23LA134

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s inability to maintain directional control during landing with a gusting left crosswind resulting in the runway excursion.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was coming into the airport to land following a cross-country flight. The pilot reported they checked the weather, entered the current conditions in the Garmin Control Unit, and received the results they expected for the RNAV approach to runway 33. The airport manager came on the radios and reported the winds as 280o at 8 knots, gusting to 19 knots. The crew captured the glidepath before the final approach fix and the co-pilot called out speeds to touchdown, the last being 115 kts. The touchdown was normal, but then the airplane experienced a strong yaw to the left from a wind gust. The pilot attempted to steer the airplane back, but the airplane went off the left side of the runway, struck a taxiway sign, and came to a stop with the nose of the airplane facing the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left inboard wing and lower left fuselage. The crew reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the airplane was landing on runway 33 with reported winds 280o at 8 knots with gusts to 24 knots. Following the accident, the company put in place stricter crosswind component limits for its’ fleet of airplanes.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.