Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

On May 2, 2001, at approximately 1330 mountain daylight time, a Cessna T206H, N72582, was substantially damaged during landing at Front Range Airport, Watkins, Colorado. The instrument rated private pilot and passenger were not injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed. An IFR flight plan was filed for this personal flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight departed Marv Skie-Lincoln County Airport, Tea, South Dakota, at approximately 1000.

According to the pilot, he encountered icing conditions while en route to Centennial Airport, Englewood, Colorado. He contacted Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) and requested various altitudes to avoid further icing. However, he was unable to maintain altitude and requested vectors to the nearest airport. Denver approach control cleared him to intercept the ILS for runway 26 at Front Range. It was his first time landing at the airport, and at approximately 15 feet above the ground, he flared and the airplane "dropped hard onto the runway." As he added power, the airplane drifted to the left and struck a runway and a taxiway light. The airplane sustained damage to the nose and right landing gear wheel pants, the elevator's right hand balance weight skin, the cargo door and substantial damage to the underside of the fuselage and empennage.

The pilot stated that he was able to taxi the airplane back onto the runway and then park it on the ramp. An initial inspection of the airplane revealed that it had an accumulation of ice on the leading edges of both wings, that in some places was up to as much as 2 and 1/2 inches thick.

The weather conditions at the time of the accident were: winds, from 360 degrees, at 12 knots; visibility, 2 and 1/2 mile; altimeter setting, 30.05 inches of mercury; temperature, 1 degree celcius/33 degrees Fahrenheit; ceiling, broken at 5,000 feet and overcast at 10,000 feet, with light rain and fog. the pilot's failure to maintain the proper decent rate during the flare resulting in a hard landing. Contributing factors icing conditions and accumulations of wing ice.