No fatalities

1 Sep 2009: CESSNA 175 — Shelton Drilling Corp — Rio Blanco, CO

Rio Blanco, CO, United States

On 1 Sep 2009, a CESSNA 175 operated by Shelton Drilling Corp was involved in an aviation accident near Rio Blanco, CO. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing and his failure to execute a go-around. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

While landing at a remote mountain airstrip, a solo pilot's aircraft drifted left, struck a runway edge marker, bounced, then landed hard but controllably, resulting in substantial damage to the nose gear and forward fuselage.

Incident Overview

During a landing at a 2,100-foot long dirt and turf airstrip located in a remote mountain area, the pilot of a single-pilot aircraft experienced a sequence of events leading to substantial damage. The landing was conducted in dry conditions with clear skies and calm wind.

Sequence of Events

As the aircraft flared and initially touched down, the pilot allowed it to drift toward the left edge of the runway. The nose gear subsequently struck a runway edge marker. According to the pilot, this impact "forcefully bounced the aircraft back in the air while dragging the tail." Following the bounce, the airplane "landed hard but controllably" on the left edge of the runway. The pilot then steered the aircraft back onto the runway surface.

Damage and Injuries

The incident resulted in substantial damage to the forward fuselage and nose gear of the aircraft. The solo pilot reported no injuries.

Contributing Factors

The official source did not specify a probable cause for the event.

Contributing factors

PilotDirectional control — Not attained/maintained