- Date
- September 17, 2002, 08:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Circle, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8515QCessna 206
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 30, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA-AL-FAI FSDO 01
- FAA report
- 20020917024599A
- Case key
- 55721
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
A partial separation of the nose wheel flange from the hub that resulted in a nose over during the landing roll.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The commercial certificated pilot was landing on a gravel-surfaced runway in a tricycle gear-equipped airplane. During the landing roll, one side of the nose gear wheel flange partially separated from the wheel hub. The nose wheel flange dug into the runway surface, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane received damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The airplane was equipped with a McCauley nose wheel assembly, and a 600 X 6 tire. The two halves of the wheel flange are bolted together on either side of the wheel hub assembly with six hex-head bolts per side. The bolts are threaded into the hub, and are required to be torqued to 200 inch-pounds. The bolts are not equipped with any lock-washers. An FAA inspector reported that he traveled to the departure airport, and to the arrival airport. The inspector said that he located one wheel flange bolt at the departure airport, along the accident airplane's departure taxi path to the runway. The bolt, and bolt threads, were undamaged. The inspector located another wheel flange bolt at the destination airport. The bolt was sheared.
Factual narrative
On September 17, 2002, about 0845 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 206 airplane, N8515Q, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over during landing at the Circle City Airport, Circle, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country positioning flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by 40 Mile Air Ltd., Tok, Alaska. The commercial certificated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a VFR flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the Tok Airport, about 0730.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on September 17, the director of maintenance for the operator reported that the pilot landed the airplane on the gravel-surfaced runway at Circle. During the landing roll, one side of the nose wheel flange partially separated from the wheel hub. The nose wheel flange dug into the runway surface, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane received damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage.
The airplane is equipped with a McCauley nose wheel assembly, and a 600 X 6 tire. The two halves of the wheel flange are bolted together on either side of the wheel hub assembly with six hex-head bolts per side. The bolts are threaded into the hub, and are required to be torqued to 200 inch-pounds. The bolts are not equipped with any lock-washers.
On September 18, a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, Fairbanks Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), reported he traveled to the Tok Airport, and to the Circle City Airport. The inspector said that he located one wheel flange bolt at the Tok Airport, along the accident airplane's departure taxi path to the runway. The bolt, and bolt threads, were undamaged. The inspector located another wheel flange bolt at the destination, Circle City Airport. The bolt was sheared.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8515Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 206
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 206003372
- Airframe hours
- 10,150
- Engine
- Continental IO-520F, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Registered owner
- 40 Mile Air Ltd.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 8, 2002 · 31 hours before
- Departed
- PATJ · Tok, AK
- Destination
- PACR · Circle, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- PACR · Circle City, runway 15, 3,000 × 60 ft, gravel
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 22
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- June 5, 2002
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,011 total · 200 in this make and model · 2,200 as pilot in command · 250 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.