What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 6/24/2020, the boise FSDO received notice of an accident/incident at Memaloose Airstrip (U25) involving a Cessna 182 and 4 POB. Memaloose is a remote mountain grass/dirt Airstrip. It was reported the C182 crashed approximately around 8:30PM local time. There was 4 POB and all 4 where transported via helicopter air medical to lewiston, Idaho. Accident photographs received by local law enforcement showed a mixed dry, wet and muddy runway surface. Law enforcement reported the area had received snow accumulation several days prior but was mainly melted away. During the late spring/ early summer runway condition can be wet on the downhill (north) section of the runway. Airman reported they departed lewiston, Idaho for a day trip exploring nearby mountain airstrips previously researched. After overflying several airstrips determined to be too risky to land at, they arrived at Memaloose Airstrip (U25). They performed a low fly over to observe the runway and landing conditions. From the air the runway looked fine. During touch down and before the nose touch the ground, the right main grabbed in a dirt rut and slight pulled the aircraft to the right off the main tracks in the dirt. After coming to a complete stop with no issues, it was discovered the area off the main runway was wet to muddy and the tire stuck in the mud. A quick visual inspection was performed by the airman with no findings. After several hours of working to free the aircraft, the airman managed to taxi further down the runway and off the active area. The aircraft had to be taxied at high power to maneuver through another wet soggy grass section and became stuck again. The aircraft was once again freed from the mud and taxied to a dryer spot. The airman and passengers spent several hours at the location before attempting to take off. The airman stated he walked the runway to assess the conditions for a soft field / short take off and determined it be usable within the main tracks. Aircraft power charts were reviewed and determined to be in limitation with current weight & balance. During takeoff, as aircraft reached vr with the wife verbally reading airspeed (routinely practiced), as the aircraft reached in ground effect, it felt as if the tire touched the ground and grabbed soft ground slowing the aircraft and before any action could be performed, the nose wheel struck something launching the aircraft into the air. While trying to recover control, the aircraft turned 180 degrees and impacted the runway in the opposite direction. Post accident photos showed standing water in the tire tracks
As the FAA filed it
ON 6/24/2020, THE BOISE FSDO RECEIVED NOTICE OF AN ACCIDENT/INCIDENT AT MEMALOOSE AIRSTRIP (U25) INVOLVING A CESSNA 182 AND 4 POB. MEMALOOSE IS A REMOTE MOUNTAIN GRASS/DIRT AIRSTRIP. IT WAS REPORTED THE C182 CRASHED APPROXIMATELY AROUND 8:30PM LOCAL TIME. THERE WAS 4 POB AND ALL 4 WHERE TRANSPORTED VIA HELICOPTER AIR MEDICAL TO LEWISTON, IDAHO. ACCIDENT PHOTOGRAPHS RECEIVED BY LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT SHOWED A MIXED DRY, WET AND MUDDY RUNWAY SURFACE. LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED THE AREA HAD RECEIVED SNOW ACCUMULATION SEVERAL DAYS PRIOR BUT WAS MAINLY MELTED AWAY. DURING THE LATE SPRING/ EARLY SUMMER RUNWAY CONDITION CAN BE WET ON THE DOWNHILL (NORTH) SECTION OF THE RUNWAY. AIRMAN REPORTED THEY DEPARTED LEWISTON, IDAHO FOR A DAY TRIP EXPLORING NEARBY MOUNTAIN AIRSTRIPS PREVIOUSLY RESEARCHED. AFTER OVERFLYING SEVERAL AIRSTRIPS DETERMINED TO BE TOO RISKY TO LAND AT, THEY ARRIVED AT MEMALOOSE AIRSTRIP (U25). THEY PERFORMED A LOW FLY OVER TO OBSERVE THE RUNWAY AND LANDING CONDITIONS. FROM THE AIR THE RUNWAY LOOKED FINE. DURING TOUCH DOWN AND BEFORE THE NOSE TOUCH THE GROUND, THE RIGHT MAIN GRABBED IN A DIRT RUT AND SLIGHT PULLED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT OFF THE MAIN TRACKS IN THE DIRT. AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP WITH NO ISSUES, IT WAS DISCOVERED THE AREA OFF THE MAIN RUNWAY WAS WET TO MUDDY AND THE TIRE STUCK IN THE MUD. A QUICK VISUAL INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED BY THE AIRMAN WITH NO FINDINGS. AFTER SEVERAL HOURS OF WORKING TO FREE THE AIRCRAFT, THE AIRMAN MANAGED TO TAXI FURTHER DOWN THE RUNWAY AND OFF THE ACTIVE AREA. THE AIRCRAFT HAD TO BE TAXIED AT HIGH POWER TO MANEUVER THROUGH ANOTHER WET SOGGY GRASS SECTION AND BECAME STUCK AGAIN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ONCE AGAIN FREED FROM THE MUD AND TAXIED TO A DRYER SPOT. THE AIRMAN AND PASSENGERS SPENT SEVERAL HOURS AT THE LOCATION BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO TAKE OFF. THE AIRMAN STATED HE WALKED THE RUNWAY TO ASSESS THE CONDITIONS FOR A SOFT FIELD / SHORT TAKE OFF AND DETERMINED IT BE USABLE WITHIN THE MAIN TRACKS. AIRCRAFT POWER CHARTS WERE REVIEWED AND DETERMINED TO BE IN LIMITATION WITH CURRENT WEIGHT & BALANCE. DURING TAKEOFF, AS AIRCRAFT REACHED VR WITH THE WIFE VERBALLY READING AIRSPEED (ROUTINELY PRACTICED), AS THE AIRCRAFT REACHED IN GROUND EFFECT, IT FELT AS IF THE TIRE TOUCHED THE GROUND AND GRABBED SOFT GROUND SLOWING THE AIRCRAFT AND BEFORE ANY ACTION COULD BE PERFORMED, THE NOSE WHEEL STRUCK SOMETHING LAUNCHING THE AIRCRAFT INTO THE AIR. WHILE TRYING TO RECOVER CONTROL, THE AIRCRAFT TURNED 180 DEGREES AND IMPACTED THE RUNWAY IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. POST ACCIDENT PHOTOS SHOWED STANDING WATER IN THE TIRE TRACKS
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.