- Date
- May 22, 2020, 19:18 local (23:18 UTC)
- Place
- Ionia, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5179DCessna 182
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Grand Rapids FSDO
- FAA report
- 20200522007419A
- Case key
- 101326
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 landing. Contributing was the pilot getting his shoe caught in the rudder pedal.
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
The pilot was performing an instrument approach to the runway following a local flight. The airplane was configured with full flaps and the pilot's intention was to perform a three-point landing. The wind was reported as calm; however, the pilot reported seeing smoke that indicated there was a light crosswind from the right. After touching down on the runway the tailwheel began to "shimmy violently," and the airplane began to drift to the left. The pilot applied rudder to get the airplane to track "a straight path" and then turned right to correct back to the runway's centerline. To recorrect to the centerline, the pilot applied full left rudder. At that point, either the pilot's "left shoe caught on something and jammed the pedal, or the left rudder pedal [became] stuck in the full left rudder position." The pilot couldn't move the pedal to maintain directional control and the airplane ground looped causing substantial damage to the right aileron and the right elevator. A postaccident examination showed no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot was performing an instrument approach to the runway following a local flight. The airplane was configured with full flaps and the pilot's intention was to perform a three-point landing. The wind was reported as calm; however, the pilot reported seeing smoke that indicated there was a light crosswind from the right. After touching down on the runway the tailwheel began to "shimmy violently," and the airplane began to drift to the left. The pilot applied rudder to get the airplane to track "a straight path" and then turned right to correct back to the runway's centerline. To recorrect to the centerline, the pilot applied full left rudder. At that point, either the pilot's "left shoe caught on something and jammed the pedal, or the left rudder pedal [became] stuck in the full left rudder position." The pilot couldn't move the pedal to maintain directional control and the airplane ground looped causing substantial damage to the right aileron and the right elevator. A postaccident examination showed no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5179D
- Reported as
- Cessna 182 (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 51279
- Built
- 1958
- Airframe hours
- 2,165.9
- Engine
- Continental Motors O-470-L, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · Part 91
- Operator
- School Of Missionary Aviation Technology
- Registered owner
- School Of Missionary Aviation Technology
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 27, 2020
- Departed
- Y70 · Ionia, MI
- Destination
- Y70 · Ionia, MI
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- Y70 · Ionia County, runway 27, 4,298 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B, Stall warning system
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 22, 2019
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 8,870 total · 21 in this make and model · 8,253 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 36 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Other flight crew
- Age
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 5, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 168 total · 0 in this make and model · 103 as pilot in command · 36 in the last 90 days · 27 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- KY70
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 31, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 9.8 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.