CHI01LA280

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 182A · Grosse Ile, MI · August 12, 2001

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
August 12, 2001, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
Place
Grosse Ile, MI
Injuries
3 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N4080DCessna 182A
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report June 4, 2002
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
FAA
FAA report
20010812026399A
Case key
53034

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

Both the CFI and the student pilot on board improperly flared the airplane and the CFI's failure to perform remedial action during the landing.

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

Hard landingLanding - flare/touchdown
Flare - improperFlightcrewCause
Remedial action - not performedPilot in command(cfi)Cause

Analysis

The airplane bounced hard during landing. The CFI reported that during the approach he noticed that the student "was not in position to safely land a/c" and he repeatedly "ordered" the student to relinquish the flight controls, but the student did not. He reported that the result was a hard landing. The student pilot reported that he and the CFI were wearing noise reduction ear plugs. He stated that both he and the CFI were on the flight controls during the flight and the landing. The student stated that no commands were given during the landing. The back seat passenger was also a pilot. He reported that both the CFI and the student had their hands on the flight controls during the landing. He reported the airplane hit hard on the runway, bounced 15 feet in the air, then came down hard on the nose gear, striking the propeller on the runway. He reported the airplane oscillated several more times and the student pushed the throttle forward as if to go around. He reported he shouted from the backseat "shut it down - we're finished." The power was reduced to idle and the airplane was stopped on the runway. The back seat passenger's perception of the student pilot was that he seemed "overly confident and aggressive with regard to his piloting abilities." The student had not had any "formal" training in the Cessna 182. The student reported the purpose of the flight was to attend a fly-in breakfast at Oscoda, not flight instruction.

Factual narrative

On August 12, 2001, at 1400 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 182A, N4080D, experienced a hard touchdown while landing on runway 17 (4,425 feet by 75 feet, concrete) at the Grosse Ile Municipal Airport, Grosse Ile, Michigan. The certified flight instructor (CFI), student pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The flight originated from Oscoda, Michigan at approximately 1230.

The CFI reported that during the landing approach, at an altitude of 400 to 500 feet above the ground, he noticed that the student "was not in position to safely land a/c." The CFI reported that he repeatedly "ordered" the student to relinquish the flight controls, but the student would not do so. He reported that the result was a hard landing. The CFI reported that the student maintained control of the airplane until it came to rest.

The student pilot reported that he and the CFI were wearing noise reduction ear plugs. He stated that both he and the CFI were on the flight controls during the flight. The student reported that upon reaching the Grosse Ile area, he asked the CFI if he could land the airplane and the CFI nodded yes. The student reported the landing was made with the CFI also on the flight controls. The student stated that no commands were given during the landing. The student reported that the airplane hit hard on both main gear, bounced back into the air, and hit the runway again before coming to rest.

The student's flight training had been in Cessna 150 and Cessna 172 airplanes, he had no "formal" training in the Cessna 182. The student reported the purpose of the flight was to attend a fly-in breakfast at Oscoda, not flight instruction. The owner of the airplane, the student's brother, stated that the CFI did not have approval to allow the student to land the airplane, because his insurance would not cover a non-certificated pilot.

The passenger in the back seat of the airplane was also a certificated pilot. He reported that both the CFI and the student had their hands on the flight controls during the landing. He reported the airplane hit hard on the runway, bounced 15 feet in the air, then came down hard on the nose gear, striking the propeller on the runway. He reported the airplane oscillated several more times and the student pushed the throttle forward as if to go around. He reported he shouted from the backseat "shut it down - we're finished." The power was reduced to idle and the airplane was stopped on the runway. The back seat passenger's perception of the student pilot was that he seemed "overly confident and aggressive with regard to his piloting abilities."

Post accident inspection of the airplane revealed damage to the propeller, firewall, and lower fuselage.

Aircraft

Registration
N4080D
Reported as
Cessna 182A
Category
Airplane
Serial number
34780
Engine
Continental O-470, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Gary L. Frischcorn
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Departed
OSC · Oscoda, MI
Destination
ONZ · Grosse Ile, MI
Airport
ONZ · Grosse Ile Municipal, runway 17, 4,425 × 75 ft, concrete

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 · 3

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Flight instructor
Age
55
Injuries
None
Certificates
Commercial, Flight instructor
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Last flight review
January 14, 2002
Seat
Right
Flight hours
2,500 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 2,400 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Role
Other flight crew
Injuries
None
Role
Student pilot
Injuries
None
Medical
Class 3
Seat
Left

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
130° at 5 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
6,000 ft broken
Temperature
79 °F, dew point 63 °F
Altimeter
30.07 inHg
Observed at
DTW, 11 nm away

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.