# Accident 20160521004769A: Cessna 182L, Calhan, CO, May 21, 2016 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 21, 2016, 10:00 local time - Place: Calhan, CO - Airport: Calhan - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 39.0456° N, 104.2931° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.0456&lon=-104.2931&mi=10 - Aircraft: N42553, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N42553-2016-12-12) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 182L (registry code 2072726, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-182l) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental O-470 series (registry code 17026, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 182L - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 1 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot - Pilot flight hours: 1,447 total, 1,294 in this make and model, 3 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB GAA16CA250](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA16CA250) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20160521004769A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON 05/21/2016 AT APPROXIMATELY 1015 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME, THE PILOT OF N42553 A CESSNA 182L DEPARTED KFLY (MEADOW LAKE, CO) EN-ROUTE TO 5V4 (CALHAN, CO). THE PILOT INTENDED TO WORK ON TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS AT 5V4 AS WELL AS GET CONTINUING EXPERIENCE OPERATING FROM A DIRT RUNWAY. WHILE ENTERING THE PATTERN THE PILOT ASCERTAINED THE SURFACE WIND DIRECTION BY VISUALLY CONFIRMING BOTH THE WINDSOCK AS WELL AS WIND TEE. BOTH OF THESE INDICATIONS SHOWED THAT THE WIND WAS PREDOMINATELY FROM THE WEST WITH A SLIGHT SOUTHERLY COMPONENT HOWEVER, AN ACCURATE DIRECTION AND SPEED COMPONENT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED AS THE AIRPORT IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATED WEATHER REPORTING STATION. THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND ON THE NORTH RUNWAY WHICH HAS AN APPROXIMATE MAGNETIC HEADING OF 360 DEGREES. WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH THE PILOT SELECTED 20 DEGREES OF FLAPS DUE TO THE WIND GUSTS AND ESTABLISHED A SLID-SLIP MANEUVER TO COMPENSATE FOR THE WESTERLY CROSSWIND. WHILE TRANSITIONING INTO GROUND EFFECT THE PILOT EXPERIENCED WIND THAT WAS CHOPPIER THEN ANTICIPATED AND ESTABLISHED A LEVEL PITCH ATTITUDE IN AN EFFORT TO, ?RIDE IT OUT?. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT THE PILOT FELT THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN NORMAL. THE PILOT DOES NOT RECALL MOVING THE CONTROL YOKE EITHER FORE OR AFT. MOMENTS AFTER THIS REALIZATION THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE RUNWAY AND BEGAN TO BOUNCE. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF A GROUND INDENTATION WHERE THE NOSE TIRE INITIALLY STRUCK THE SURFACE OF THE RUNWAY ACCOMPANIED BY FOUR PROP STRIKE INDENTATIONS. FOLLOWING THE LAST PROP STRIKE INDENTATION THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF A FINAL GROUND INDENTATION WHERE THE NOSE TIRE CONTACTED THE GROUND FOR THE LAST TIME BEFORE SHEARING OFF OF THE AIRCRAFT, ULTIMATELY RESULTING IN THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPING OVER ON ITS BACK IN A FORWARD MOTION. LOCAL WEATHER REPORTING STATIONS DURING THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT ALL AGREED THAT THE WINDS WERE WSW AT AN AVERAGE OF 8 KNOTS. ALL STATIONS REPORTED VMC CONDITIONS AND THE PILOT CONFIRMED THAT VMC CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. THE CLOSEST WEATHER REPORTING STATION TO 5V4 IS LOCATED 24 MILES TO THE WNW ON TOP OF MONUMENT PASS. 5V4 AIRPORT IS LOCATED 13 NAUTICAL MILES FROM KFLY ON AN APPROX. HEADING OF 068 DEGREES. THE FIELD IS LOCATED AT 6,450? MSL AND HAS A NORTH/SOUTH RUNWAY THAT IS APPROX. 4,500? IN LENGTH. THE RUNWAY IS DIRT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF 1,000? OF TURF THAT IS LOCATED ON THE NORTH END OF THE RUNWAY SURFACE. THE PILOT CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY APPROX. 1,200? PAST THE THRESHOLD OF THE NORTH RUNWAY. THE DISTANCE FROM THE INITIAL NOSE STRIKE TO THE FINAL NOSE STRIKE WAS APPROX. 50? WITH THE PROP STRIKE INDENTATIONS 1 FOOT APART FROM EACH OTHER. POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONSISTENT WITH A PROP STRIKE, NOSE GEAR FAILURE, AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPING OVER AS A RESULT OF THE NOSE GEAR FAILURE. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB GAA16CA250](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA16CA250), May 21, 2016: Cessna 182 (N42553), Calhan, CO, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's incorrect pitch control during the landing flare in gusty crosswind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing and nose over. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.