# NTSB CEN12LA113: Cessna 182J, N2618F, St. Paul, MN, December 26, 2011 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: December 26, 2011, 14:00 local (20:00 UTC) - Place: St. Paul, MN - Coordinates: 44.934444, -93.060279 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.9344&lon=-93.0603&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report May 21, 2012 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA Minneapolis FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 82572 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN12LA113 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/82572/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=82572 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN12LA113 ## Probable cause The pilot's decision to land on a runway with a gusting, quartering tailwind and his inadequate compensation for the wind, which resulted in a hard landing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Action: incorrect action selection](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041010): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 182J, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041010/cases.md?model=2072722), [All aircraft, 397 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041010/cases.md) - [Wind: tailwind](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034015): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Contributed to outcome; cases with it: [Cessna 182J, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034015/cases.md?model=2072722), [All aircraft, 594 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034015/cases.md) - [Wind: gusts](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034045): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Contributed to outcome; cases with it: [Cessna 182J, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034045/cases.md?model=2072722), [All aircraft, 1,199 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034045/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 182J, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=2072722), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300); cases with it: [Cessna 182J, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=2072722), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md) ## Analysis Although the tower air traffic controller informed the pilot that the wind was from 230 degrees, the pilot elected to land on runway 14 instead of runway 27. He reported that the visual approach was stabilized as he approached the runway landing zone. However, the airplane encountered a gust of wind during the landing flare and landed hard on its nose on the runway centerline about 500 to 1,000 feet from the runway threshold. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the firewall was bent. The pilot reported that there was no mechanical malfunction or failure of the airplane. Five minutes after the accident, the reported surface wind was 240 degrees at 19 knots gusting to 26 knots. ## Factual narrative On December 26, 2011, about 1400 central standard time, a Cessna 182J, N2618F, sustained substantial damage as a result of a hard landing on runway 14 at the St. Paul Downtown Airport (STP), St. Paul, Minnesota. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the Mentone Flying Club under the provisions of the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed from the Rice Lake Regional Airport (RPD), Rice Lake, Wisconsin, and was en route to STP. The pilot reported that he made two visual approaches to runway 27 at STP. On the first approach he executed a planned go-around. On the second, he planned to make a full stop landing; however, during the landing flare, a gust of wind caused the airplane to drift so he performed another go-around. The pilot decided to change runways for the next landing attempt, and he elected to land on runway 14; although the STP air traffic controller informed the pilot that the wind was from 230 degrees. The pilot reported that he continued the visual approach and was on glideslope, airspeed, and centered on the runway as he approached the runway landing zone. He reported that he encountered a “big” gust of wind during the landing flare. The airplane landed hard on its nose on the runway centerline about 500 – 1000 feet from the runway threshold. The postaccident inspection of the airplane revealed that the airplane’s firewall was bent. The pilot reported that there was no mechanical malfunction or failure of the airplane. At 1405, the surface weather observation at STP was: wind 240 degrees at 19 knots gusting to 26 knots; 10 miles visibility; sky clear; temperature 11 degrees Celsius; dew point -6 degrees Celsius; altimeter 29.71. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N2618F](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2618F-2014-01-06), registration cancelled 2014-01-06, S/N 18256718, built 1965 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 182J - Registry model: [Cessna 182J](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-182j) (registry code 2072722) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental O-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (registry code 17026, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 18256718 - Airframe hours: 3549 - Engines: CONT MOTOR O-470-R 230 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Mentone Flying Club Inc - Registered owner: Mentone Flying Club Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, May 4, 2011 - Departed: RPD, Rice Lake, WI - Destination: STP, St. Paul, MN - Airport: STP, St. Paul Downtown Airport, runway 14, 6,491 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 55; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review December 18, 2011; seat: left; flight hours: 117 total, 9 in this make and model, 57 as pilot in command, 37 in the last 90 days, 11 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 240° at 19 knots, gusting 26 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 52 °F, dew point 21 °F - Altimeter: 29.70 inHg - Observed at: STP ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20111226028649A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20111226028649A), Dec 26, 2011: Cessna 182J, St. Paul, MN, Substantial damage. ^ Experienced a hard landing on rwy 14 at kstp airport. Aircraft ran off the west side of the runway following the collapse of the nose landing gear assy. The… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 30, 2012, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=82572. 1.1 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 1.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40365609&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Record of Conversation - Pilot (item 2, .PDF, 51 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40365632&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversation%20-%20Pilot-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.