20220522007519A

On may 22, 2022 at approximately 0700 AKDT, a Cessna 182, N757R was destroyed when it was involved in an accident at Point Moller, Alaska. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant of the aircraft, received severe injuries. The airplane was operated as a title 14 code of federal aviation regulations part 91 flight.

An associate of the pilot, who is not a certificated pilot, observed the accident flight. He reported that the conventional landing gear airplane?s tail lifted off during takeoff from the remote gravel runway, but the airplane failed to become airborne and overran the end the runway, down an embankment and crashed onto a sandy beach approximately 50 feet below the elevation of the runway. The airplane came to rest inverted on the beach. The pilot escaped from the airplane through a side window. There was no post-impact fire and the airplane was destroyed.

Examination of photos taken shortly after the accident show that all portions of the aircraft appear to be located at the accident site. All aerodynamic flight surfaces and controls appear to remain attached to the aircraft. The engine, engine mount and firewall were separated from the fuselage. The main landing gear was folded rearward and the front lower portion of the fuselage exhibited forward impact crush damage with multiple sheet metal fractures and broken rivet lap seems. The empennage structure is buckled midway between the cabin area and the tail. The vertical fin and rudder were bent approximately 90 degrees to the left. The elevator and horizontal stabilizer intact and undamaged with the elevator in a neutral position. Examination of photos taken of the cockpit show the left control column sheared off midway down the center shaft and what appears to be a construction nail inserted in the gust lock pin hole in the control column support bushing. Flight control cable continuity could not be confirmed.

During investigation interview, the accident pilot stated he tied the airplane down the night before the accident flight with double ropes and installed improvised plywood gust locks on the external flight control surfaces. He stated he did a preflight inspection that night in anticipation of an early morning departure. He stated he did another preflight inspection on the morning of the accident flight and thought he had completed all preflight inspection items including check that flight controls free and clear. He stated he performed his engine start, taxi, and takeoff checks by task flow and confirmed with a checklist. He stated the airplane accelerated normally during takeoff, but failed to respond to full back pressure on the controls. He recalls overrunning the end of the runway with the nose of the airplane pointing down. The next thing he recalls is being upside down and hanging by his seatbelt. He stated that while awaiting medevac, his associate that witnessed the accident said he placed the construction nail in the gust lock pin hole, but failed to tell the pilot. During interview with the associate, he said he did not recall placing the nail, nor having such post-accident conversation with the pilot.

The NTSB was alerted to the accident by U.S. Coast guard performing the medevac for the injured pilot. The pilot stated he submitted a report to the NTSB several weeks following the accident.