Grand Junction Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Grand Junction, Colorado 81506
Friday, August 9, 2002 13:45 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

According to the instructor, the pilot receiving instruction made a hard landing. The instructor took the controls and initiated a go-around. Suspecting landing gear damage, he kept the landing gear extended and diverted to a nearby airport. On the approach, the right main landing gear fell off the aircraft. Because of the limited emergency equipment at the second airport, he was advised to divert to a third airport. While keeping the landing gear extended, they made a low pass over the runway, and witnesses confirmed the missing right main landing gear. The instructor retracted the landing gear and made an intentional gear-up landing. The airplane sustained extensive damage to the lower fuselage skin and bulkheads and substantial damage to the right main landing gear attachment point.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The dual student's inadequate aircraft control resulting in a hard landing. Contributing factors include, the dual student's inadequate airspeed and high flare, the inadequate supervision by the instructor, the in-flight separation of the right main landing gear and the intentional wheels-up landing.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/9/2002
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1345
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City Grand Junction
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 81506
Event Date Year 2002
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude --
Event Location Longitude --
Event Location Airport Grand Junction
Event Location Nearest Airport ID GJT
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 4858
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1456 Mountain Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID GJT
Elevation of weather observation facility 4858
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) --
Time Zone of the weather observation MDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 33
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 7
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 310
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 11
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.18
Density Altitude (feet) 7895
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 13758
NTSB Notification Source FAA COMM CTR
NTSB Notification Date Aug 9 2002 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1515
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Aug 26 2003 8:17AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\JOHB
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Salt Lake City FSDO

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N111KC
NTSB Number DEN02LA093
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? No
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Cessna
Aircraft Model 310N
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 310N-0005
Certified Max Gross Weight 5200
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 6
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Sep 20 2001 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 125
Airframe Hours 3570
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Russell Andrews
Aircraft Owner Street Address 710 E Durant Ave
Aircraft Owner City Aspen
Aircraft Owner State CO
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 81611
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name --
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address --
Operator City --
Operator State --
Operator Country --
Operator Zip code --
Operator Code --
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? --
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation --
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code PUB
Departure City Pueblo
Departure State CO
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1245
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code GWS
Destination City Glenwood Spring
Destination State CO
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? No
Evacuation occurred No
Date of most recent change to record Jun 4 2003 1:31PM
User who most recently changed record MCBM
Since inspection or accident Time of Accident
Event Location Runway Number and Location 29
Runway Length 10500
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --