Incident Overview
On October 22, 2008, at 0857 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 180 (registration N3389D) and a Cessna P210N (registration N731NX) collided in mid-air over Whitewater, Colorado, approximately 14 miles south of Grand Junction. The Cessna 180 was substantially damaged, while the Cessna P210N sustained minor damage. All six occupants—two aboard the Cessna 180 and four aboard the Cessna P210N—escaped injury.
Flight Details
The Cessna 180, registered to Meil Del Rio Grande, Inc. of Monte Vista, Colorado, was operating under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight. It originated at Del Norte Airport (1V8), Colorado, at 0724, en route to Aberdeen (U36), Idaho, with a planned refueling stop at Vernal (VEL), Utah. The pilot did not file a flight plan.
The Cessna P210N, registered to Mesa County, Grand Junction, Colorado, was on a public use prisoner transfer flight. It originated at Grand Junction Regional Airport (GJT) at 0827, en route to Florence (1V6), Colorado. The pilot had filed and activated a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
Pilot Accounts
According to the pilot of the Cessna 180, he was descending westbound from 16,500 feet to 8,500 feet. As he passed 10,500 feet, he peered out the passenger window hoping to catch a glimpse of deer. At approximately 10,000 feet, his passenger yelled and he saw N731NX approaching head-on. He dove his airplane, then felt an impact. The airplane yawed 270 degrees and began to roll right. He reported no rudder control and used full left aileron to maintain a wings-level attitude. He made a forced landing in a field, and the airplane nosed over. The pilot noted that the top two-thirds of the vertical stabilizer was missing.
The pilot of the Cessna P210N stated he was climbing eastbound between 9,500 and 10,500 feet when he heard a loud "bang" and thought he had struck a bird. He and his passengers did not see the other airplane, as they were flying into the sun. He elected to return to Grand Junction to assess damage. Upon extending the landing gear, a red unsafe light illuminated for the nose gear. Control tower personnel confirmed the nose gear was not extended. After several unsuccessful attempts to lower the nose gear, the pilot landed the airplane nose gear up. It skidded on its nose for approximately 300 feet before coming to a stop.
Damage Assessment
The Cessna 180 sustained substantial damage, while the Cessna P210N sustained minor damage. No injuries were reported among the six occupants.