CEN11CA600

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 182C · Grand Marais, MN · August 27, 2011

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
August 27, 2011, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
Place
Grand Marais, MN
Injuries
4 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Takeoff
Aircraft
N9011TCessna 182C
Defining event
Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report November 3, 2011
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Central Region
Parties
Federal Aviation Administration
FAA report
20110827019799A
Case key
81623

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's delayed decision to land the airplane when he realized the airplane's performance was insufficient to clear approaching terrain during the initial climb after takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inadequate preflight planning.

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.

Performance/control parameters: climb rateAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedCessna 182C: 1 caseAll aircraft: 265 casesProbable cause
Action: delayed actionPersonnel issues › Action/decision · PilotCessna 182C: 2 casesAll aircraft: 894 casesProbable cause
Planning/preparation: performance calculationsPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotCessna 182C: 1 caseAll aircraft: 114 casesProbable cause

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

The local scenic flight departed from a lake in a southeasterly direction and the wind was reported at 8 knots from the south-southeast. Shortly after becoming airborne, while approximately 100 feet above ground level, the pilot noted that the airplane's airspeed was not increasing as he expected and that the airplane was not climbing. In an attempt to increase airspeed and ultimately gain altitude, the pilot lowered the nose but the airspeed did not increase. Due to terrain ahead of the airplane, the pilot attempted a landing on the remaining lake area. During the attempted landing, the airplane's floats contacted terrain, which was located between the main lake and a bay, and the airplane nosed over. A postaccident examination of the airplane showed substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage; no airframe or engine anomalies were noted. The pilot estimated his weight and balance at the gross weight limit and reported that he could have increased his safety margins by using all available back-taxi distance and more conservative abort points.

Factual narrative

The local scenic flight departed from a lake in a southeasterly direction, and the wind was reported at 8 knots from the south/southeast. Shortly after becoming airborne to approximately 100 feet above ground level, the pilot noted the airplane's airspeed was not increasing as he expected, and the airplane was not climbing. In an attempt to increase airspeed and ultimately gain altitude, the pilot lowered the nose, but the airspeed did not increase. Due to the terrain ahead of the airplane, the pilot attempted a landing on the remaining lake area. During the attempted landing, the airplane's floats contacted terrain, which was located between the main lake and a bay, and the airplane nosed over. Postaccident examination of the airplane showed substantial damage to the both wings and the fuselage, and no airframe or engine anomalies were noted. The pilot estimated his weight and balance at the gross weight limitation and reported he could have increased his safety margins by using all available back-taxi distance and more conservative abort points.

Aircraft

Registration
N9011T
Reported as
Cessna 182C
Category
Airplane
Serial number
52911
Airframe hours
5,165
Engine
Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Other work use · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · August 3, 2011
Departed
0G5 · Grand Marais, MN
Destination
0G5 · Grand Marais, MN
Airport
runway 09, water

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
52
Injuries
None
Certificates
Flight instructor, Commercial
Airplane ratings
Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
September 8, 2009
Seat
Left
Flight hours
1,250 total · 800 in this make and model · 1,145 as pilot in command · 72 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
160° at 8 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
70 °F
Altimeter
30.12 inHg

Docket · 1

The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 16, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.0 MB 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.

Other investigations on N9011T · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.