The pilot reported encountering a downdraft “that dropped the [air]plane below the glide slope” while on short final. He immediately noticed a reduction in airspeed. The pilot applied power and “pulled the nose up in an effort to regain proper altitude.” Subsequently, the airplane landed “very hard” and collapsed the nose landing gear. Examination revealed the firewall was bent and the fuselage behind the aft seating area was buckled. The pilot reported no anomalies with the airplanes systems prior to the accident.
September 5, 2009, Avalon, Calif., Cessna T210H Centurion
The pilot reported encountering a downdraft that dropped the [air]plane below the glide slope while on short final. He immediately noticed a reduction in airspeed. The pilot applied power and pulled the nose up in an effort to regain proper altitude. Subsequently, the airplane landed very hard and collapsed the nose landing gear. Examination revealed the firewall was bent and the fuselage behind the aft seating area was buckled. The pilot reported no anomalies with the airplanes systems prior to the accident.
Key Takeaways:
- During short final, a pilot encountered a downdraft that caused the aircraft to drop below the glide slope and lose airspeed, prompting a recovery attempt with power and pitch-up.
- The aircraft subsequently landed "very hard," collapsing the nose landing gear and causing significant structural damage, including a bent firewall and buckled fuselage.
- The pilot reported no anomalies with the aircraft's systems prior to the accident.
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