- Date
- January 29, 2011, 11:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Meeker, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N7199ECessna 182
- Defining event
- Taxi: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 8, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Salt Lake City
- FAA report
- 20110129000599A
- Case key
- 78269
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
The pilot’s loss of directional control while taxiing due to his improper seat position.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to the pilot, he started the airplane’s engine in preparation for a flight to another airport. He intended to make a 90-degree left turn in order to taxi from the airport parking ramp directly toward the active runway. The pilot applied power and the airplane began to move forward and then began to turn to the left. After the airplane had turned to the desired heading, the pilot pushed right rudder pedal to stop the turn, but the airplane continued to turn to the left. The pilot then pushed the right wheel brakes, but the airplane did not stop. The airplane continued its turn to the left and the left wing and propeller impacted a snow bank on the edge of the airport parking ramp, causing substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot later said that for this particular flight he probably did not have his seat positioned far forward enough for his legs to activate either the rudder pedals or the brake pedals to the full extent of their travel.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he started the airplane’s engine in preparation for a flight to another airport. He intended to make a 90-degree, left turn in order to taxi from the airport parking ramp directly toward the active runway. The pilot applied power and the airplane began to move forward and then began to turn to the left. After the airplane had turned to the desired heading, the pilot pushed right rudder pedal to stop the turn, but the airplane continued to turn to the left. The pilot then pushed the right wheel brakes, but the airplane did not stop. The airplane continued its turning movement to the left and the left wing and propeller impacted a snow bank on the edge of the airport parking ramp causing substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot later said that for this particular flight he probably did not have his seat positioned far forward enough for his legs to activate either the rudder pedals or the brake pedals to the full extent of their travel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7199E
- Reported as
- Cessna 182 (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 52199
- Airframe hours
- 4,549
- Engine
- Continental O470, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 5, 2010 · 7 hours before
- Departed
- EEO · Meeker, CO
- Destination
- SBS · Steamboat Spgs, CO
- Airport
- EEO · Meeker Airport, runway 03, 6,497 × 60 ft, asphalt
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
- 79
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 10, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,400 total · 1,600 in this make and model · 4,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- KEEO
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 24, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 374 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.