What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
6/8/2022 At approximately 1700 hrs. privacy data omitted, A C-182, departed Elmendorf Afb (paed), with PIC and two passengers, enroute to talkeetna for a sight-seeing tour. The PIC filed all the appropriate flight plans, the takeoff at paed, the flight enroute, and the landing at talkeetna (patk) were without incident. After the tour was concluded the PIC performed the necessary preflight checks and departed talkeetna without incidence enroute back to Elmendorf Afb. Winds at talkeetna were 340 degrees at approximately 9 knots sustained. The aircraft was deemed no maintenance issues prior to departure. The trip back to Elmendorf was without incidence.
Once privacy data omitted entered the pattern at paed the PIC was instructed to land runway 06. PIC noted there would be approximately a 5 knot crosswind on landing. PIC entered the base leg and proceeded to lower flaps to 10 degrees and completed his landing checklist. Upon slowing to 75 knots indicated airspeed the PIC lowered the flaps to 20 degrees before starting his turn to final. Once turning to final indicated airspeed was 70 knots indicated, and the PIC proceeded to lower the flaps to 30 degrees. The PIC lined up right on the centerline just prior to flare in ground effect. PIC verified approximately 60 knots indicated airspeed before beginning his flare for touchdown.
While in ground effect, while holding back on the yoke the PIC does recall a small ?float? Which he believed to be caused by a change in wind direction to a head wind. PIC stated the float was minimal, possibly a 2 ft. lift. This headwind caused the aircraft to be in ground effect longer than normal. PIC maintained back pressure on the yoke to hold a nose up attitude. The stall warning started to sound but the aircraft was only approximately 2 ft. off the ground. Upon touchdown the main gear contacted the ground first and it was harder than the PIC anticipated. The PIC stated that he was a little more nose high then normal. This allowed the nose gear to contact the ground harder than normal. PIC stated he would classify this as a hard landing but not more than he has experienced in the past. He did not feel that any damage could have been done to the aircraft. On taxi back to parking the PIC noticed that he did not have left deflection of the rudder. Right rudder input was not impeded. The PIC used active braking to compensate for the lack of left rudder deflection. Once parked the PIC and the passengers performed a walk around of the aircraft and did not notice any damage. On the side of safety the PIC entered a write up on the aircraft logbook indicating a hard landing had occurred. He notified the aero club manager of the incident. No injuries were reported.
Upon aircraft inspection, it was found to have damage to the nose gear strut. Also, the bracket the holds the rudder pedals was damaged which led to a piece of the bracket wedging itself behind the passenger side left rudder pedal. This impeded the left rudder pedal from moving past the neutral position. This is what caused the lack of left rudder deflection. It was also found to have firewall wrinkling due to the hard landing. This impeded the installation of an engine cowling on the right side due to the deformation. Aircraft is currently in maintenance to assess the complete amount of damage. While still being investigated by certificated mechanics, the damage has been assessed as substantial.
As the FAA filed it
6/8/2022 AT APPROXIMATELY 1700 HRS. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A C-182, DEPARTED ELMENDORF AFB (PAED), WITH PIC AND TWO PASSENGERS, ENROUTE TO TALKEETNA FOR A SIGHT-SEEING TOUR. THE PIC FILED ALL THE APPROPRIATE FLIGHT PLANS, THE TAKEOFF AT PAED, THE FLIGHT ENROUTE, AND THE LANDING AT TALKEETNA (PATK) WERE WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER THE TOUR WAS CONCLUDED THE PIC PERFORMED THE NECESSARY PREFLIGHT CHECKS AND DEPARTED TALKEETNA WITHOUT INCIDENCE ENROUTE BACK TO ELMENDORF AFB. WINDS AT TALKEETNA WERE 340 DEGREES AT APPROXIMATELY 9 KNOTS SUSTAINED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DEEMED NO MAINTENANCE ISSUES PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. THE TRIP BACK TO ELMENDORF WAS WITHOUT INCIDENCE.
ONCE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ENTERED THE PATTERN AT PAED THE PIC WAS INSTRUCTED TO LAND RUNWAY 06. PIC NOTED THERE WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY A 5 KNOT CROSSWIND ON LANDING. PIC ENTERED THE BASE LEG AND PROCEEDED TO LOWER FLAPS TO 10 DEGREES AND COMPLETED HIS LANDING CHECKLIST. UPON SLOWING TO 75 KNOTS INDICATED AIRSPEED THE PIC LOWERED THE FLAPS TO 20 DEGREES BEFORE STARTING HIS TURN TO FINAL. ONCE TURNING TO FINAL INDICATED AIRSPEED WAS 70 KNOTS INDICATED, AND THE PIC PROCEEDED TO LOWER THE FLAPS TO 30 DEGREES. THE PIC LINED UP RIGHT ON THE CENTERLINE JUST PRIOR TO FLARE IN GROUND EFFECT. PIC VERIFIED APPROXIMATELY 60 KNOTS INDICATED AIRSPEED BEFORE BEGINNING HIS FLARE FOR TOUCHDOWN.
WHILE IN GROUND EFFECT, WHILE HOLDING BACK ON THE YOKE THE PIC DOES RECALL A SMALL ?FLOAT? WHICH HE BELIEVED TO BE CAUSED BY A CHANGE IN WIND DIRECTION TO A HEAD WIND. PIC STATED THE FLOAT WAS MINIMAL, POSSIBLY A 2 FT. LIFT. THIS HEADWIND CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO BE IN GROUND EFFECT LONGER THAN NORMAL. PIC MAINTAINED BACK PRESSURE ON THE YOKE TO HOLD A NOSE UP ATTITUDE. THE STALL WARNING STARTED TO SOUND BUT THE AIRCRAFT WAS ONLY APPROXIMATELY 2 FT. OFF THE GROUND. UPON TOUCHDOWN THE MAIN GEAR CONTACTED THE GROUND FIRST AND IT WAS HARDER THAN THE PIC ANTICIPATED. THE PIC STATED THAT HE WAS A LITTLE MORE NOSE HIGH THEN NORMAL. THIS ALLOWED THE NOSE GEAR TO CONTACT THE GROUND HARDER THAN NORMAL. PIC STATED HE WOULD CLASSIFY THIS AS A HARD LANDING BUT NOT MORE THAN HE HAS EXPERIENCED IN THE PAST. HE DID NOT FEEL THAT ANY DAMAGE COULD HAVE BEEN DONE TO THE AIRCRAFT. ON TAXI BACK TO PARKING THE PIC NOTICED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE LEFT DEFLECTION OF THE RUDDER. RIGHT RUDDER INPUT WAS NOT IMPEDED. THE PIC USED ACTIVE BRAKING TO COMPENSATE FOR THE LACK OF LEFT RUDDER DEFLECTION. ONCE PARKED THE PIC AND THE PASSENGERS PERFORMED A WALK AROUND OF THE AIRCRAFT AND DID NOT NOTICE ANY DAMAGE. ON THE SIDE OF SAFETY THE PIC ENTERED A WRITE UP ON THE AIRCRAFT LOGBOOK INDICATING A HARD LANDING HAD OCCURRED. HE NOTIFIED THE AERO CLUB MANAGER OF THE INCIDENT. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.
UPON AIRCRAFT INSPECTION, IT WAS FOUND TO HAVE DAMAGE TO THE NOSE GEAR STRUT. ALSO, THE BRACKET THE HOLDS THE RUDDER PEDALS WAS DAMAGED WHICH LED TO A PIECE OF THE BRACKET WEDGING ITSELF BEHIND THE PASSENGER SIDE LEFT RUDDER PEDAL. THIS IMPEDED THE LEFT RUDDER PEDAL FROM MOVING PAST THE NEUTRAL POSITION. THIS IS WHAT CAUSED THE LACK OF LEFT RUDDER DEFLECTION. IT WAS ALSO FOUND TO HAVE FIREWALL WRINKLING DUE TO THE HARD LANDING. THIS IMPEDED THE INSTALLATION OF AN ENGINE COWLING ON THE RIGHT SIDE DUE TO THE DEFORMATION. AIRCRAFT IS CURRENTLY IN MAINTENANCE TO ASSESS THE COMPLETE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE. WHILE STILL BEING INVESTIGATED BY CERTIFICATED MECHANICS, THE DAMAGE HAS BEEN ASSESSED AS SUBSTANTIAL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.