NTSB Factual Report

On January 14, 2001, at 2045 central standard time, a Cessna 210M airplane, N1736M, was destroyed when it impacted terrain during a practice instrument approach at the Burnet Municipal Airport (Kate Craddock Field), Burnet, Texas. The instrument-rated commercial pilot and his pilot-rated passenger, who was the registered owner and operator of the airplane, sustained serious injuries. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The cross-country flight originated from the Burnet Municipal Airport approximately 1930, flew to the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Austin, Texas, for practice instrument approaches, and was to terminate at the Burnet Municipal Airport.

According to the pilot, he practiced instrument approaches at Austin, and flew back to Burnet "under the hood." His passenger, who held a private pilot certificate and was not instrument rated, was the designated safety pilot. When the flight neared Burnet, the pilot remained flying under the hood and began to execute the Global Positioning System (GPS) runway 01 approach. He reported that he passed over AMUSE (the initial approach fix) at 4,000 feet and initiated a 500 fpm descent at 140 knots. He stated that the flight crossed SUBIE at 3,100 feet and maintained a 500 fpm descent rate at 140 knots. The pilot also reported that the aircraft over flew ABJES (the final approach fix) at 2,600 feet, and he extended the flaps and lowered the landing gear. Approximately 15 seconds had elapsed when the airplane contacted trees and impacted the ground. The pilot stated that he remembered setting in the local altimeter setting at Austin, and although he recalled obtaining the local altimeter setting for Burnet, he was not sure he set it into the kollsman window on the altimeter. At 1953, the altimeter setting at Austin-Bergstrom was reported as 30.13 inches of Mercury, and at 1953, the altimeter setting at Burnet was reported as 30.15 inches of Mercury. The pilot added that dark night light conditions existed at the time of the accident.

The passenger reported that as the airplane crossed the final approach fix he had the runway in sight. He then lost sight of the runway and was about to tell the pilot to "pull up," when the impact occurred.

According to radar data the airplane crossed over AMUSE at 3,500 feet; crossed over SUBIE at 3,000 feet; and was at 2,200 feet approximately 1.02 nautical miles prior to reaching ABJES. According to the GPS runway 01 instrument approach plate, the minimum altitude is 3,100 feet over SUBIE and 2,600 feet over ABJES. The missed approach point (BEPKY) has a published minimum altitude of 2,000 feet for a circling approach and 1,660 feet for a straight in approach. The inbound course is 009 degrees.

The aircraft impacted trees and rising terrain approximately 1.21 nautical miles past ABJES, and 2.79 nautical miles prior to reaching BEPKY, at an elevation of 1,199 feet. The aircraft wreckage path measured approximately 330 feet along a heading of approximately 010 degrees. The path through the trees made a descent angle of approximately 20 degrees.

The FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, reported that the right wing separated from the airplane. The fuselage, including the cockpit, was consumed by fire. The propeller assembly separated from the engine and was embedded in a tree. The engine separated from each of its four mounts and came to rest 30 feet from the main wreckage.

The instrument-rated commercial pilot had accumulated 274 total flight hours, of which 62 hours were in the same make and model as the accident airplane. He had flown a total of 44 hours under simulated instrument conditions and had not logged flight hours in actual instrument flight conditions. Additionally, the pilot had failed his first instrument check ride on September 10, 2000, due to an altitude deviation during an approach. On September 26, 2000, he received his instrument airplane rating.

Review of the aircraft maintenance records revealed that on May 24, 2000, the aircraft underwent its last altimeter system, altitude reporting equipment, static system, and transponder system tests required by Federal Aviation Regulations Part 91.411 and 91.413. On June 8, 2000, a Garmin GPS 400 navigation system was installed in the accident airplane and on August 29, 2000, the GPS receiver system was approved for en route, terminal, and approach navigation in instrument flight conditions. On November 1, 2000, the aircraft underwent its last annual inspection at an aircraft total time of 2,630.4 hours. According to the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, the airplane had accumulated approximately 20 hours of flight time since its last annual inspection.

NTSB Probable Cause

the pilot's failure to maintain proper glide path during a practice instrument approach, which resulted in an in-flight collision with terrain. Contributory factors to the accident were the dark night light condition and the safety pilot's inadequate monitoring of the practice approach.