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20230210002309I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 182P · Greer, SC · February 10, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 10, 2023 · 11:00 local
Place
Greer, SC
Phase of flight
Taxi
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N79933
Reported as
Cessna 182P
Reported engine
Continental O-470 series
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
446 total
N79933Registered now · Cessna 182PS/N 18261847 · Built 1973Airframe modelCessna 182PEngine 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.

NTSB report:

Brief description of events: at 10 am EST, Greer, SC. Cessna 182P privacy data omittedwas taxing to run up ramp when the ground "fell from under the a/c" resulting in prop strike. 3 POB, no injuries.

Pilot statement:

On 2/10/2023 we decided to go up for a pleasure flight in the local area to originate and end at SC72. Our neighbor on the airpark had asked us to come along so he came over. I checked the weather and it was cavu with slight wind 260 at 3 KTS. We planned on flying and returning to SC72. I performed a pre-flight while the airplane was in the hangar. No anomalies were found. The engine contained 11 gal of oil, a usual amount, and fuel was 37 gal in the right tank and 35 in the left, for a total of 72 gallons. The plane holds max fuel of 78 gal. I had computed a weight and balance before the previous flight, so added the weight of the passenger and subtracted the fuel used to return to the starting point and quickly calculated on the i-pad that we would be well within weight and balance parameters.

We pulled the plane out of the hangar onto the pad. All three occupants strapped in and I commenced with a passenger brief and a pre-start check list. I started the engine, allowed the engine oil to warm to 80 deg at idle, made a radio call to the CTAF frequency that we were going to taxi to the run-up area and we commenced taxi on the grass taxiway at about 5 KTS with the prop at about 1100 RPM. As we approached the paved run up area, about 10 feet prior, the nose wheel suddenly sank into the ground, resulting in a prop strike and engine stoppage. There were no injuries and after cutting the master and mag switches and turning the fuel selector to off we deplaned.

Since the plane was at a severe nose down angle, fuel was leaking so we did call the fire department. We dug around the nose wheel to free it, and the fire department lifter the front gear out with airbags. There was no damage to the nose gear, cowling or any other part of the aircraft except the propeller. Our next door neighbor used his tug to place the aircraft into our hangar.

It was determined that a leaking pipe under the grass runway resuled in a weakening of the soil and caused a sinkhole to open up.

As the FAA filed it

NTSB REPORT:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF EVENTS: AT 10 AM EST, GREER, SC. CESSNA 182P ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^WAS TAXING TO RUN UP RAMP WHEN THE GROUND "FELL FROM UNDER THE A/C" RESULTING IN PROP STRIKE. 3 POB, NO INJURIES.

PILOT STATEMENT:

ON 2/10/2023 WE DECIDED TO GO UP FOR A PLEASURE FLIGHT IN THE LOCAL AREA TO ORIGINATE AND END AT SC72. OUR NEIGHBOR ON THE AIRPARK HAD ASKED US TO COME ALONG SO HE CAME OVER. I CHECKED THE WEATHER AND IT WAS CAVU WITH SLIGHT WIND 260 AT 3 KTS. WE PLANNED ON FLYING AND RETURNING TO SC72. I PERFORMED A PRE-FLIGHT WHILE THE AIRPLANE WAS IN THE HANGAR. NO ANOMALIES WERE FOUND. THE ENGINE CONTAINED 11 GAL OF OIL, A USUAL AMOUNT, AND FUEL WAS 37 GAL IN THE RIGHT TANK AND 35 IN THE LEFT, FOR A TOTAL OF 72 GALLONS. THE PLANE HOLDS MAX FUEL OF 78 GAL. I HAD COMPUTED A WEIGHT AND BALANCE BEFORE THE PREVIOUS FLIGHT, SO ADDED THE WEIGHT OF THE PASSENGER AND SUBTRACTED THE FUEL USED TO RETURN TO THE STARTING POINT AND QUICKLY CALCULATED ON THE I-PAD THAT WE WOULD BE WELL WITHIN WEIGHT AND BALANCE PARAMETERS.

WE PULLED THE PLANE OUT OF THE HANGAR ONTO THE PAD. ALL THREE OCCUPANTS STRAPPED IN AND I COMMENCED WITH A PASSENGER BRIEF AND A PRE-START CHECK LIST. I STARTED THE ENGINE, ALLOWED THE ENGINE OIL TO WARM TO 80 DEG AT IDLE, MADE A RADIO CALL TO THE CTAF FREQUENCY THAT WE WERE GOING TO TAXI TO THE RUN-UP AREA AND WE COMMENCED TAXI ON THE GRASS TAXIWAY AT ABOUT 5 KTS WITH THE PROP AT ABOUT 1100 RPM. AS WE APPROACHED THE PAVED RUN UP AREA, ABOUT 10 FEET PRIOR, THE NOSE WHEEL SUDDENLY SANK INTO THE GROUND, RESULTING IN A PROP STRIKE AND ENGINE STOPPAGE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND AFTER CUTTING THE MASTER AND MAG SWITCHES AND TURNING THE FUEL SELECTOR TO OFF WE DEPLANED.

SINCE THE PLANE WAS AT A SEVERE NOSE DOWN ANGLE, FUEL WAS LEAKING SO WE DID CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. WE DUG AROUND THE NOSE WHEEL TO FREE IT, AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT LIFTER THE FRONT GEAR OUT WITH AIRBAGS. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE NOSE GEAR, COWLING OR ANY OTHER PART OF THE AIRCRAFT EXCEPT THE PROPELLER. OUR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR USED HIS TUG TO PLACE THE AIRCRAFT INTO OUR HANGAR.

IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A LEAKING PIPE UNDER THE GRASS RUNWAY RESULED IN A WEAKENING OF THE SOIL AND CAUSED A SINKHOLE TO OPEN UP.