NTSB Factual Report

On October 22, 2008, at 0857 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 180, N3389D, registered to and operated by Meil Del Rio Grande, Inc. Monte Vista, Colorado, and a Cessna P210N, N731NX, registered to and operated by Mesa County, Grand Junction, Colorado, collided in mid air over Whitewater, Colorado, approximately 14 miles south of Grand Junction. The Cessna 180 was substantially damaged; the Cessna P210N sustained minor damage. The two occupants aboard the Cessna 180 and the four occupants aboard the Cessna P210N escaped injury. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The Cessna 180 was being operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. It was on a personal flight that originated at Del Norte (1V8), Colorado, at 0724, and was en route to Aberdeen (U36), Idaho, with a planned refueling stop at Vernal (VEL), Utah. The Cessna P210N was a public use (prisoner transfer) flight that originated at Grand Junction (GJT), at 0827, and was en route to Florence (1V6), Colorado. The pilot of the Cessna 180 did not file plan. The pilot of the Cessna P210N had filed and activated a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan.

According to the pilot of the Cessna 180, he was descending westbound from 16,500 feet to 8,500 feet. As he passed 10,500 feet, he peered out the passenger window, hoping to catch a glimpse of deer. Approximately 10,000 feet, his passenger yelled and he saw N731NX approaching head-on. He dove his airplane, then felt an impact. The airplane yawed 270 degrees and began to roll right. He said had no rudder control and by using full left aileron, he was able to maintain a wings-level attitude. He made a forced landing in a field and the airplane nosed over. The pilot said that the top two-thirds of the vertical stabilizer was missing.

According to the pilot of the Cessna P210N, he was climbing eastbound between 9,500 and 10,500 feet when he heard a loud "bang" and thought he had struck a bird. He said they were flying into the sun, and he nor his passengers saw the airplane. He elected to return to GJT to have the damage assessed. Upon extending the landing gear, a RED UNSAFE light illuminated for the nose gear. Control tower personnel confirmed the nose gear was not extended. After several unsuccessful attempts to lower the nose gear, the pilot landed the airplane nose gear up. It skidded on its nose for approximately 300 feet before coming to a stop.

NTSB Probable Cause

Both pilots' failure to see and avoid the other airplane. Contributing factors in this accident were the Cessna 180 pilot's attention being diverted and the Cessna 210 pilot's vision being affected by the sun glare.