Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Cincinnati-Blue Ash Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Cincinnati, Ohio 45242
Thursday, March 20, 2008 14:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot had not flown the airplane over the winter and the battery had lost its charge. The engine was started with the assistance of ground power. After engine start-up, the alternator output indicated 29 volts, battery voltage indicated zero, and the ammeter showed that the battery was charging.The pilot reported that upon raising the landing gear and flaps after liftoff, "immediately all electrical power went out." The pilot elected to remain in the traffic pattern and return for an immediate landing. He lowered the landing gear handle. However, due to what he perceived as an urgent situation and the attention required by other traffic in the vicinity, he did not use the emergency gear extension procedure to insure that the landing gear was fully down and locked. Upon landing, the main landing gear collapsed and the airplane departed the left side of the runway. The left horizontal stabilizer sustained skin and sub-structure damage. A post accident inspection revealed that the battery had little or no electrolyte in it. Battery output was 8.3 volts, with no indication of electrical current. The alternators and voltage regulators were tested. No anomalies with the function of the alternators or regulators were observed. The airplane was equipped with a 28-volt dual-alternator electrical system. The Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) stated that "use of the ground service plug receptacle for starting an airplane with a 'dead' battery or charging a 'dead' battery in the airplane is not recommended." It added that a "failure to observe this precaution could result in loss of electrical power during flight." Landing gear extension and retraction is controlled by an electric motor, which provided hydraulic pressure to actuate the gear. Loss of electrical power prevented operation of the motor and required that the landing gear be extended manually. The pilot commented that the accident may have been prevented by inspecting the battery fluid level prior to the flight because the airplane had been tied down all winter.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's decision to operate the airplane with a "dead" battery contrary to guidance provided by the Pilot's Operating Handbook. An additional cause was the pilot's failure to verify that the landing gear was fully down and locked prior to landing. Contributing factors were the pilot's failure to properly service the battery prior to the flight and the subsequent loss of all electrical power, which rendered that normal gear extension system inoperative.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/20/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1430 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Cincinnati |
| Event State | OHIO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 45242 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 391448N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0842320W |
| Event Location Airport | Cincinnati-Blue Ash |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | ISZ |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 856 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1453 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LUK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 483 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 9 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| 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) | 11 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 280 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 13 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 17 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.22 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KLUK 201853Z 28013G17KT 10SM CLR 11/M03 A302 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 23556 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 20 2008 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 30 2008 1:28PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA-Cincinnati FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4943U |
| NTSB Number | CHI08CA092 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 210N |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 21064842 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3800 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 1 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3055 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Larry G. Jacobs |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Loveland |
| Aircraft Owner State | OH |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 45140 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | ISZ |
| Departure City | Cincinnati |
| Departure State | OH |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1430 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Emergency landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 25 2008 5:33PM |
| User who most recently changed record | DINC |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 24 |
| Runway Length | 3499 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |