On June 23, 2005, a Cessna T206H (registration N72806) was involved in an aviation accident near Vineland, NJ. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's inadequate preflight planning, which resulted in his decision to land at a closed airport. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot diverted to the nearest airport using GPS, but the airport had been closed for three months. During landing, the airplane encountered soft sand and nosed over, resulting in substantial damage.
Incident Details
On a multi-stop local flight, the pilot decided to divert from the next intended stop. Utilizing the nearest function on the aircraft's GPS receiver, the pilot identified the closest airport and proceeded to land there.
Landing
During the landing roll, the airplane encountered soft sand on the runway surface. This caused the aircraft to nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the airframe.
Airport Status
The airport had been closed approximately three months prior to the accident. An FAA NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) had been issued listing the airport as closed at the time of the incident.