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20190313001279A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 182D · Brevard, NC · March 13, 2019

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 13, 2019 · 18:02 local
Place
Brevard, NC
Airport
Transylvania County Airport
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N8905X
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA19LA131
Reported as
Cessna 182D
Reported engine
Continental O-470 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
289 total289 in this make and model9 in the last 90 days
N8905XRegistration cancelled Jul 2, 2022 · Cessna 182DS/N 18253305 · Built 1961Airframe modelCessna 182DEngine 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.

Pilot reports that after he applied takeoff power and began his takeoff roll that the pilot seat slid aft. This resulted in a loss of control due to pilot pulling back on the yoke and being unable to reach the rudder/brake pedals.

This loss of control caused aircraft to depart the runway to the left, down an embankment towards a set of railroad tracks where the nose gear struck the tracks causing the plane to flip over, substantially damaging the aircraft.

FAA inspector's preliminary inspection of the wreckage showed that the pilot seat's left hand forward seat roller housing was not engaged with the seat track but was sitting on top of it. Whether the roller housing was in this position prior to takeoff thereby causing the accident or was a result of the accident is undetermined.

Subsequently measured the seat track & seat roller housing as per AD2011-10-09. Found all dimensions to be within the allowable dimensions in the AD. This should have precluded the seat roller housing becoming separated from the seat track during takeoff.

Also noted that there was light scarring on top of the seat track where the displaced housing would have sat if it had not been installed correctly. This light scarring was not present on the other three pilot seat tracks in the aircraft.

These observations and measurements would seem consistent with a seat that was installed improperly with the left forward seat roller housing not engaged with the seat track.

Reference ptrs# EA68 201901962

As the FAA filed it

PILOT REPORTS THAT AFTER HE APPLIED TAKEOFF POWER AND BEGAN HIS TAKEOFF ROLL THAT THE PILOT SEAT SLID AFT. THIS RESULTED IN A LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO PILOT PULLING BACK ON THE YOKE AND BEING UNABLE TO REACH THE RUDDER/BRAKE PEDALS.

THIS LOSS OF CONTROL CAUSED AIRCRAFT TO DEPART THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT, DOWN AN EMBANKMENT TOWARDS A SET OF RAILROAD TRACKS WHERE THE NOSE GEAR STRUCK THE TRACKS CAUSING THE PLANE TO FLIP OVER, SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGING THE AIRCRAFT.

FAA INSPECTOR'S PRELIMINARY INSPECTION OF THE WRECKAGE SHOWED THAT THE PILOT SEAT'S LEFT HAND FORWARD SEAT ROLLER HOUSING WAS NOT ENGAGED WITH THE SEAT TRACK BUT WAS SITTING ON TOP OF IT. WHETHER THE ROLLER HOUSING WAS IN THIS POSITION PRIOR TO TAKEOFF THEREBY CAUSING THE ACCIDENT OR WAS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT IS UNDETERMINED.

SUBSEQUENTLY MEASURED THE SEAT TRACK & SEAT ROLLER HOUSING AS PER AD2011-10-09. FOUND ALL DIMENSIONS TO BE WITHIN THE ALLOWABLE DIMENSIONS IN THE AD. THIS SHOULD HAVE PRECLUDED THE SEAT ROLLER HOUSING BECOMING SEPARATED FROM THE SEAT TRACK DURING TAKEOFF.

ALSO NOTED THAT THERE WAS LIGHT SCARRING ON TOP OF THE SEAT TRACK WHERE THE DISPLACED HOUSING WOULD HAVE SAT IF IT HAD NOT BEEN INSTALLED CORRECTLY. THIS LIGHT SCARRING WAS NOT PRESENT ON THE OTHER THREE PILOT SEAT TRACKS IN THE AIRCRAFT.

THESE OBSERVATIONS AND MEASUREMENTS WOULD SEEM CONSISTENT WITH A SEAT THAT WAS INSTALLED IMPROPERLY WITH THE LEFT FORWARD SEAT ROLLER HOUSING NOT ENGAGED WITH THE SEAT TRACK.

REFERENCE PTRS# EA68 201901962

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 ERA19LA131Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportBrevard, NCThe mechanic's failure to notice that the left front seat left front roller housing disengaged from the seat rail during recent maintenance, and the pilot's failure to detect the disengaged roller housing during the preflight inspection, which resulted in the…Mar 13, 2019 · Substantial damage