N4864U

On April 5, 1997, approximately 1145 mountain standard time, a Cessna T210N, N4864U, registered to and operated by Sawyer Aviation as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, was substantially damaged following a loss of directional control during landing roll at the Whiskey Creek Airport near Silver City, New Mexico. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an IFR flight plan was filed for the cross country flight. The commercial pilot and three passengers sustained minor injuries. The flight originated from Phoenix, Arizona, about 2 hours 15 minutes before the accident.

The pilot recalled that "the surface winds were reported to be from the west from 18-20 MPH with gusts to 30 MPH." He flew over mid-field and noticed that the wind sock was fully extended, which verified "that the winds were over 10-15 MPH." He extended the flaps to 30 degrees, and during the crosswind landing to runway 35, the aircraft "touched down just past the numbers." During the landing roll, the aircraft started to veer to the right of the centerline, and he corrected with left rudder. The aircraft then "weather vaned into the wind," and veered off the left side of the runway. He applied right rudder and was paralleling the runway when the aircraft impacted a mound of dirt.

A local law enforcement officer who responded to the accident reported the following information. The weather was clear "with 25 to 35 MPH westerly winds and wind gusts up to 45 MPH." The pilot reported that he was completing a crosswind landing when "a gust of wind" pushed the aircraft to the right (east). In an attempt to keep the aircraft on the runway he "overcorrected causing the aircraft to exit the west edge of the runway."

Examination of the accident site by the FAA inspector revealed tire marks exiting the left side of the runway about 1,200 feet from the approach end of the runway. The tire marks continued parallel to the runway for approximately 600 feet to a mound of dirt, which was approximately 3-foot in height. The aircraft was found just beyond the dirt mound inverted with the tip of the right wing about 3 feet from the runway.

Examination of the aircraft by the FAA inspector revealed that the nose landing gear was separated, the right main landing gear box was damaged, and the left main landing gear was bent. All of the engine mounts were fractured, the vertical stabilizer was crushed, and the right wing was bent between the aileron and flap.