- Date
- November 11, 2011, 19:15 local (Nov 12, 2011, 01:15 UTC)
- Place
- Alexandria, MN
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3051FCessna 182J
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of visual reference
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report February 6, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 82312
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 failure to maintain directional control during the night landing.
Findings · 4
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
The pilot reported that the airplane lost electrical power prior to a night landing. He said that, during the landing flare, the stall warning horn sounded, and he lost sight of the runway lights on the right side of the airplane. The airplane departed the runway and sustained substantial firewall damage when the nose landing gear impacted a runway sign and then buckled under the airplane. Except for the loss of electrical power, the pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that the airplane lost electrical power prior to a night landing. During the landing flare the stall warning sounded and he lost sight of the runway lights on the right side of the airplane. The airplane sustained substantial firewall damage when the nose landing gear impacted a runway sign and then buckled under the airplane. Except for the loss of electrical power, the pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3051F
- Reported as
- Cessna 182J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18257151
- Airframe hours
- 9,500
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- St Cloud Civ Air Pat Flying Club Inc
- Registered owner
- St Cloud Civ Air Pat Flying Club Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 24, 2011
- Departed
- DIK · Dickinson, ND
- Destination
- AXN · Alexandria, MN
- Airport
- AXN · Chandler Field Airport, runway 31, 5,100 × 100 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
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 30, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 735 total · 510 in this make and model · 735 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- AXN
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 8, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 780 KB in all.