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Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

NTSB Reports is an independent research and search tool for public aviation accident and incident records. It brings NTSB aviation reports, structured fields, docket files, extracted figures, photos, videos, and update history into one searchable interface.

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NTSB Report

August 17, 2001 · Cessna 421B · N5286Z

New Braunfels, TX

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
August 17, 2001
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (4 uninjured)
Location
New Braunfels, TX
Aircraft
Cessna 421B
Tail Number
N5286Z
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
FTW01LA186

During a crosswind landing on runway 13, the twin-engine airplane touched down hard, and the right main landing gear collapsed. The reported wind was from 200 degrees at 11 knots. The pilot did not submit a Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2).

NTSB Probable Cause

the pilot's inadequate flare of the airplane resulting in a hard landing. A contributing factor was the crosswind.

Full Narrative

On August 17, 2001, at 1015 central daylight time, a Cessna 421B, twin-engine airplane, N5286Z, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing on runway 13 at the New Braunfels Municipal Airport, New Braunfels, Texas. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The private pilot, a pilot rated passenger, and two other passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight, and a flight plan was not filed. The personal flight departed Duncan, Oklahoma, at 0900. The pilot reported to the FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, that during the crosswind landing, the airplane touched down "hard." Subsequently, the airplane veered to the right, collapsed the right main landing gear, and came to rest with the right wing resting in the dirt off the side of the runway. The FAA inspector found tire marks, gouges, and propeller slash marks in the asphalt runway to the left of the centerline. The structural components of the right main landing gear wheel well were twisted and buckled, and the right wing skin was wrinkled and buckled. The right fuel tip tank was found separated at the aft attachment point. When the aircraft was recovered from the runway, the extension mechanisms, for both main landing gear and the nose landing gear, were found in the "down and locked" position. At 0915 and 1025, the weather observation facility at New Braunfels, reported the wind from 200 degrees at 11 knots. Numerous attempts to obtain a completed Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2) were unsuccessful.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time10:15 CDT
Nearest AirportNew Braunfels Municipal (0nm)
Runway13
Runway Length5352 ft
Runway Width100 ft
Flight Plan FiledNone
Flight Plan ActivatedNo
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftCessna 421B
Tail NumberN5286Z
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
Operating RulePart 91
Engines2
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsContinental · GTSIO-520-L · Reciprocating · 375
Seats10

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (4 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured4
Total4
Crew 1Age 51 · Second Class · None

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind200° @ 11 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingBroken clouds 2200 ft
Altimeter30.11 inHg
Observation Time15:25
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data