History of Flight
On April 19, 2013, at about 1655 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 210E, registration N111BK, was substantially damaged when it struck trees and terrain while on final approach to Williamsburg-Jamestown Airport (JGG) in Williamsburg, Virginia. The commercial pilot and a passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Potomac Airfield (VKX), Friendly, Maryland, at about 1550, destined for JGG. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
Witnesses reported that the airplane passed beyond the extended runway centerline when the pilot announced on the common traffic advisory frequency that he was turning from base leg to final approach for runway 13. The airplane then entered a steep right turn toward the runway, pitched down, and descended at a steep angle behind a tree line.
Personnel Information
According to FAA records, the pilot held a commercial certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine, multiengine land limited to center thrust, and instrument airplane. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on March 18, 2013. The pilot's logbook indicated the last entry was on March 20, 2013, when he completed his biennial flight review, reporting a total of 336 civilian flight hours. Additionally, he had accrued 4,297 hours of military flight time while serving in the United States Armed Forces.
Aircraft Information
The four-seat, high-wing, retractable tricycle-gear airplane was manufactured in 1965. It was powered by a Continental Motors IO-520 Series 285-horsepower engine equipped with a Hartzell propeller. The logbooks indicated that the most recent annual inspection was completed on October 26, 2012, at 4,547 total airframe hours. The engine had accumulated about 153 total hours since major overhaul and 113 hours since it was removed, inspected, and reinstalled following a propeller strike. The airplane had flown approximately 32 hours since the last annual inspection.
Meteorological Information
At 1655, the recorded weather at JGG included wind from 180 degrees at 14 knots, gusting to 28 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear sky, temperature 28°C, dew point 19°C, and a barometric altimeter setting of 29.75 inches of mercury. At 1658, National Weather Service radar depicted a broken line of thunderstorms and rain showers along and ahead of an approaching frontal system west of the accident site. An AIRMET advisory was issued for the area for moderate turbulence and low-level wind shear, valid until 1700 and extended through 2300.
Airport Information
Williamsburg-Jamestown Airport (JGG) was a non-tower-controlled airport operating under Class G airspace, with a field elevation of 49 feet msl. The airport had one asphalt runway, 13/31, measuring 3,204 feet long and 60 feet wide. The non-standard traffic pattern for runway 13 was oriented for right turns. Noise abatement procedures were in place to avoid a school located 3,500 feet off the departure end of runway 31.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was located in a residential neighborhood, about half a mile at 310 degrees from the approach of runway 13. All major components were accounted for. The airplane impacted terrain in an approximately 85-degree nose-down attitude and came to rest on a heading of about 335 degrees magnetic. The tail and right wing were partially separated but still attached by control cables. The forward fuselage sustained extensive compression damage, reducing cockpit volume. Both wings had leading edge crush damage. The instrument panel was fragmented, and all flight controls were observed.
The right and left wings exhibited impact damage along their leading edges, and both fuel tanks were compromised. The ailerons remained attached, and aileron flight control continuity was established. The aft fuselage and empennage were buckled and canted left. Elevator, rudder, and elevator trim continuity were confirmed. The cockpit area was crushed, and seatbelts and shoulder harnesses remained intact; lap seatbelts were latched and cut by rescue personnel. The magneto switch was selected to both.
Tree branches at the site exhibited clean cuts at about 45 degrees. All three propeller blades showed chordwise scratching and minor S-bending. The propeller separated from the flange, with all installation studs remaining. Due to impact damage, the crankshaft could not be rotated by hand, but borescope examination of all six cylinders revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions. Rocker arms and valve springs were manually actuated with no anomalies. Sparkplugs were intact, the oil filter was heavily damaged, and magnetos produced spark when rotated. The fuel pump rotated freely with no binding and no internal anomalies upon disassembly. The fuel manifold valve and nozzles showed no anomalies.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed by the Commonwealth of Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the cause of death as "Blunt force injuries to head, neck, torso, and extremities" and the manner as "Accident." The FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute toxicology report was negative for all drugs, and no ethanol or carbon monoxide was detected.
Test and Research
A handheld GPS receiver recovered from the wreckage was examined by the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory, but no data was found for the accident flight.