What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On September 16, 2002, at 0820 pacific daylight time, a Cessna 182A, N3951D, porpoised on the landing rollout from runway 27, and came to rest inverted at the San Diego international-Lindbergh field airport (san), San Diego, California. The airplane was operated by the pilot/owner under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91, and sustained substantial damage. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight and no flight plan had been filed. The flight had departed the scottsdale airport (sdl), scottsdale, Arizona, at an unknown time. Federal aviation administration (FAA) inspectors interviewed tower personnel. Tower personnel indicated that they had instructed the accident pilot that he was number two for landing behind an MD-11. According to preliminary information, tower personnel also cautioned the accident pilot for wake turbulence, and to land beyond the MD-11'S touchdown point. The MD-11 exited runway 27 at taxiway bravo 5, the high speed exit, and was contacting ground control for taxi instructions at the time of the accident. According to witnesses, during the landing rollout, the airplane's tailwas observed to raise up and lower two times. The third time the tail rose up in the air, it continued over until the airplane came to rest inverted. (-23) pilot of N3951D was cleared to land following an MD-11 jet operated by varig airlines. The MD-11 landed on rwy 27 at approximately 0819 PDT. N3951D landed on runway 27 approximately one minute later. The MD-11 touched down at about the 1000 ft markings, and turned off the runway at taxiway B5. N3951D landed approximately 1000-1500 ft. beyond the touchdown point of the MD-11, to avoid its wake turbulence. The pilot of N3951D said he was about ten knots fast on landing as an additional precaution for the MD-11'S wake turbulence. The combination of a touchdown 1000-1500 ft. past the MD-11 touchdown point, and the additional landing speed, resulted in N3951D continuing its landing rollout past taxiway B5, where the MD-11 had exited rwy 27, and stopped while obtaining a taxi clearance. N3951D was just taxiing past B5 as the MD-11 powered up its engines to turn from taxiway B5, eastbound onto taxiway b. with only about one-hundred feet of clearance separating the two aircraft, the jet blast from the MD-11 was sufficient to flip the Cessna 182 (C-182) over. The pilot of the C-182 felt this plane start to lift up and slew sideways from left to right. He attempted to correct back to the left, but could not control the plane. The right wingtip struck the runway, and the plane flipped over onto its back. The pilot of the C-182, who was the sole occupant of the plane, was uninjured in the incident.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2002, AT 0820 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 182A, N3951D, PORPOISED ON THE LANDING ROLLOUT FROM RUNWAY 27, AND CAME TO REST INVERTED AT THE SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL-LINDBERGH FIELD AIRPORT (SAN), SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY THE PILOT/OWNER UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91, AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PRIVATE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE FLIGHT HAD DEPARTED THE SCOTTSDALE AIRPORT (SDL), SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA, AT AN UNKNOWN TIME. FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTORS INTERVIEWED TOWER PERSONNEL. TOWER PERSONNEL INDICATED THAT THEY HAD INSTRUCTED THE ACCIDENT PILOT THAT HE WAS NUMBER TWO FOR LANDING BEHIND AN MD-11. ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY INFORMATION, TOWER PERSONNEL ALSO CAUTIONED THE ACCIDENT PILOT FOR WAKE TURBULENCE, AND TO LAND BEYOND THE MD-11'S TOUCHDOWN POINT. THE MD-11 EXITED RUNWAY 27 AT TAXIWAY BRAVO 5, THE HIGH SPEED EXIT, AND WAS CONTACTING GROUND CONTROL FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, DURING THE LANDING ROLLOUT, THE AIRPLANE'S TAILWAS OBSERVED TO RAISE UP AND LOWER TWO TIMES. THE THIRD TIME THE TAIL ROSE UP IN THE AIR, IT CONTINUED OVER UNTIL THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST INVERTED. (-23) PILOT OF N3951D WAS CLEARED TO LAND FOLLOWING AN MD-11 JET OPERATED BY VARIG AIRLINES. THE MD-11 LANDED ON RWY 27 AT APPROXIMATELY 0819 PDT. N3951D LANDED ON RUNWAY 27 APPROXIMATELY ONE MINUTE LATER. THE MD-11 TOUCHED DOWN AT ABOUT THE 1000 FT MARKINGS, AND TURNED OFF THE RUNWAY AT TAXIWAY B5. N3951D LANDED APPROXIMATELY 1000-1500 FT. BEYOND THE TOUCHDOWN POINT OF THE MD-11, TO AVOID ITS WAKE TURBULENCE. THE PILOT OF N3951D SAID HE WAS ABOUT TEN KNOTS FAST ON LANDING AS AN ADDITIONAL PRECAUTION FOR THE MD-11'S WAKE TURBULENCE. THE COMBINATION OF A TOUCHDOWN 1000-1500 FT. PAST THE MD-11 TOUCHDOWN POINT, AND THE ADDITIONAL LANDING SPEED, RESULTED IN N3951D CONTINUING ITS LANDING ROLLOUT PAST TAXIWAY B5, WHERE THE MD-11 HAD EXITED RWY 27, AND STOPPED WHILE OBTAINING A TAXI CLEARANCE. N3951D WAS JUST TAXIING PAST B5 AS THE MD-11 POWERED UP ITS ENGINES TO TURN FROM TAXIWAY B5, EASTBOUND ONTO TAXIWAY B. WITH ONLY ABOUT ONE-HUNDRED FEET OF CLEARANCE SEPARATING THE TWO AIRCRAFT, THE JET BLAST FROM THE MD-11 WAS SUFFICIENT TO FLIP THE CESSNA 182 (C-182) OVER. THE PILOT OF THE C-182 FELT THIS PLANE START TO LIFT UP AND SLEW SIDEWAYS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. HE ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT BACK TO THE LEFT, BUT COULD NOT CONTROL THE PLANE. THE RIGHT WINGTIP STRUCK THE RUNWAY, AND THE PLANE FLIPPED OVER ONTO ITS BACK. THE PILOT OF THE C-182, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE PLANE, WAS UNINJURED IN THE INCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.