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20120624012119A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 182 · Watsonville, CA · June 24, 2012

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
June 24, 2012 · 13:03 local
Place
Watsonville, CA
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N55DN
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR12LA286
Reported as
Cessna 182
Reported engine
Continental O-520 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
3,200 total985 in this make and model270 in the last 90 days
N55DNRegistration cancelled Aug 9, 2012 · Cessna 182S/N 33257 · Built 1956Airframe modelCessna 182Engine modelContinental O-470 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On June 24, 2012 at 1303 pacific daylight time, a Cessna 182, N55DN sustained substantial damage during an emergency off-airport landing approximately one half mile north-east of the Watsonville airport, California. The commercial pilot and sole occupant onboard stated the flight was normal until the aircraft turned onto a three mile final approach. The pilot reported the engine quit and several attempts to restart the engine were made. These attempts failed and the pilot prepared the aircraft for an off-airport landing. The pilot maneuvered the aircraft parallel to an orchard of apple trees located off the end of runway 20 at Watsonville airport. The aircraft hit several trees coming to rest in an upright nose down left wing low attitude. The pilot secured and evacuated the aircraft. The flight was conducted under visual meteorological conditions and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. Substantial damage to the aircraft wings, the vertical and horizontal stabilizer, the nose landing gear and engine propeller.

As the FAA filed it

ON JUNE 24, 2012 AT 1303 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 182, N55DN SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING AN EMERGENCY OFF-AIRPORT LANDING APPROXIMATELY ONE HALF MILE NORTH-EAST OF THE WATSONVILLE AIRPORT, CALIFORNIA. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND SOLE OCCUPANT ONBOARD STATED THE FLIGHT WAS NORMAL UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT TURNED ONTO A THREE MILE FINAL APPROACH. THE PILOT REPORTED THE ENGINE QUIT AND SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE ENGINE WERE MADE. THESE ATTEMPTS FAILED AND THE PILOT PREPARED THE AIRCRAFT FOR AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING. THE PILOT MANEUVERED THE AIRCRAFT PARALLEL TO AN ORCHARD OF APPLE TREES LOCATED OFF THE END OF RUNWAY 20 AT WATSONVILLE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT HIT SEVERAL TREES COMING TO REST IN AN UPRIGHT NOSE DOWN LEFT WING LOW ATTITUDE. THE PILOT SECURED AND EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT.SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WINGS, THE VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, THE NOSE LANDING GEAR AND ENGINE PROPELLER.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR12LA286Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWatsonville, CAA total loss of engine power during approach for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.Jun 24, 2012 · Substantial damage