CEN15LA012

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 182B · Orange, TX · October 15, 2014

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
October 15, 2014, 11:45 local (16:45 UTC)
Place
Orange, TX
Injuries
3 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Approach
Aircraft
N2437GCessna 182B
Defining event
Approach-VFR go-around: Loss of control in flight
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report June 1, 2015
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Central Region
Parties
FAA
FAA report
20141015018179A
Case key
90260

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 airplane control during a go-around to avoid another airplane that was making a nonstandard approach to the opposing runway. Contributing to the accident was the other pilot’s use of a nonstandard approach while landing on the opposing runway.

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.

Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotCessna 182B: 8 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/info: use of policy/procedurePersonnel issues › Task performance · Pilot of other aircraftCessna 182B: 1 caseAll aircraft: 191 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: airspeedAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedCessna 182B: 3 casesAll aircraft: 1,681 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: angle of attackAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedCessna 182B: 3 casesAll aircraft: 990 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 pilot reported that he made three radio calls stating his intentions to land. When the airplane was about 25 to 50 ft above the runway, the pilot saw an agricultural airplane making a nonstandard, low circling approach to land on the opposing runway. The pilot added full power and initiated a shallow, right climbing turn to go around to avoid the other airplane. The pilot then banked the airplane left to avoid obstacles parked on the ramp and subsequently lost airplane control, and the airplane then impacted terrain. The agricultural pilot stated that he was not in the traffic pattern at the time of the accident.

Factual narrative

On October 15, 2014, about 1145 central daylight time, a Cessna 182B airplane, N2437G, collided with the terrain following a loss of control during a go-around while landing at the Orange County Airport (ORG), Orange, Texas. The private pilot and two passengers were not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was not operated on a flight plan. The local flight originated from ORG at 1100. The pilot reported he made three radio calls announcing he was making a straight in approach to land on runway 4. He stated that when he was over the runway at an altitude of 25 to 50 feet, he saw a yellow agricultural airplane fly an arc over the northern end of the runway at an altitude of 75 to 100 feet. The pilot added full power and began a shallow right climbing turn to go-around. The pilot stated he then banked left to avoid obstructions on the ramp at which time the airplane lost lift and the left wing contacted the ground. The airplane impacted the ground, spun to the left and skidded about 50 feet prior to coming to rest. The pilot of the agricultural airplane stated he was not in the traffic pattern at the time of the accident and that he did not see the accident airplane. The agricultural pilot stated he had a radio installed in the airplane and he thought it was on at the time of the accident. One witness who was on the ramp stated he saw the accident airplane just prior to it contacting the ground. He stated he ran to the airplane just after the accident to see if everyone was alright and when he turned around the yellow airplane was taxing onto the ramp to be loaded.

Aircraft

Registration
N2437G
Reported as
Cessna 182B
Category
Airplane
Serial number
51737
Built
1959
Engine
Cont Motor O-470 -L, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Fire
Unknown
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Departed
ORG · Orange, TX
Destination
ORG · Orange, TX
Airport
ORG · Orange County Airport, runway 4, 5,500 × 75 ft, asphalt
Equipment
Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display

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
54
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
Seat
Left
Restraint
Lap only
Flight hours
315 total · 303 in this make and model · 271 as pilot in command · 26 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
300° at 7 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
75 °F, dew point 45 °F
Altimeter
30.11 inHg
Observed at
ORG

Docket · 2

The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 27, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 385 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.

Other investigations on N2437G · 1

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