CESSNA 425

Full Narrative

On March 28, 2011, about 0825 central daylight time, a Cessna 425, multi-engine airplane, N410VE, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain at Hemphill County Airport (HHF), Canadian, Texas. The airplane was owned and operated by Crown Supply Corporation, Grand Junction, Colorado. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 flight. The pilot and two passengers were uninjured, and four passengers sustained minor injuries. The flight had originated from the Grand Junction Regional Airport (GJT), Grand Junction, Colorado, about 0545 mountain daylight time and was en route to HHF.

The pilot conducted a straight-in global positioning system (GPS) approach to runway 22 and reported he was directly over the end of the runway when he broke out of the base of the clouds. The pilot then remained clear of the clouds and executed a no-flap circling approach to the opposite direction runway. The pilot said his airspeed was high when he touched down. The landing was hard and the right main landing gear tire "blew". Witnesses and passengers said the airplane bounced several times, collapsed the left main landing gear, and the airplane came to rest 300 feet from the runway centerline.

Examination of the airplane revealed that the airframe structure where the nose landing gear attached to the airframe was bent and torn. The fuselage was buckled in several locations and the left wing spar was bent. No preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures were found that would have precluded normal operation.

At 0825, the automated weather observing system at HHF, reported winds from 140 degrees at 5 knots, visibility of 5 miles, overcast clouds at 600 feet, temperature 1 degrees Celsius, dew point 0 degrees Celsius, with an altimeter setting of 29.98 inches of Mercury.