# NTSB DEN02TA078: Cessna 182R, N6271N, Englewood, CO, July 21, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Final report - Date: July 21, 2002, 15:37 local (21:37 UTC) - Place: Englewood, CO - Coordinates: 39.569999, -104.849166 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.5700&lon=-104.8492&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 1, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA Flight Standards District Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 55270 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN02TA078 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/55270/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=55270 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN02TA078 ## Probable cause the pilot-in-command's improper flare resulting in a hard landing. Contributing factors were the pilot's improper remedial action, and the second pilot's inadequate monitoring of the flight. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - flare - improper, pilot in command (contributing factor) - remedial action - improper, pilot in command (contributing factor) - monitoring - inadequate, copilot/second pilot (contributing factor) ## Analysis The wind was from 030 degrees at 9 knots, gusting to 15 knots, as the pilot made a simulated ILS approach to runway 35R. At decision height, the pilot transitioned to a visual approach and reduced power slightly to facilitate his descent and flared. The airplane ballooned and the pilot added a little power and maintained the attitude. The airplane landed hard, bounced, and came down on the nose wheel. He applied full power to reject the landing and the airplane began drifting to the left of the runway. The safety pilot took control of the airplane and returned it to the runway centerline. When the airplane touched down, it veered to the left, departed the runway, and skidded to a halt. ## Factual narrative On July 21, 2002, at 1537 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 182R, N6271N, owned and operated by the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), was substantially damaged during a hard landing at Centennial Airport, Englewood, Colorado. The pilot-in-command (PIC), a safety pilot (SP), and a pilot rated-passenger serving as a scanner escaped injury. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the public use cross-country flight being operated under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated from Canon City, Colorado, approximately 1455. The following is based on an accident report submitted by the PIC, a CAP mission check pilot. As the flight neared its destination, the SP obtained Centennial Airport's ATIS (automatic terminal information service) information Papa that indicated the wind was from 030 degrees at 9 knots, with gusts to 15 knots. The SP then contacted Denver approach control and requested a practice ILS (instrument landing system) approach to runway 35R. The PIC was vectored to intercept the localizer just outside Casse LOM (compass locator outer marker). The initial approach was made using 10 degrees of flaps and 90 KIAS (knots indicated airspeed). After glideslope capture, flaps were lowered to 20 degrees and speed was reduced to 80 KIAS. Throughout the approach, the airplane was flown "1-2 dots above the glide slope." At decision height, the PIC removed his foggles (vision restricting device) and transition to a visual approach. He reduced power slightly to facilitate his descent, slowed to 75 KIAS, and flared. "Apparently a slight gust occurred," he wrote, and the nose rose slightly. He added a little power and held the attitude. The airplane descended "very rapidly" and the pilot thought he pulled back on the control yoke to arrest the descent. The airplane landed hard, bounced, and came down "very hard" on the nose wheel. He applied full power and the airplane began drifting to the left of the runway. The SP "requested" and took control of the airplane and returned it to the runway centerline (in the CAP report, the SP said, "I've got it," the PIC said, "You got it," and the SP took control of the airplane). When the airplane touched down, it veered to the left, departed the runway, and skidded to a halt. The following is based on the accident report submitted by the SP, a CAP mission pilot. The SP said the approach was normal, and the airplane touched down and bounced. "The bounce didn't seem too bad or unusual," the SP wrote, but the airplane climbed "a lot in a very nose high attitude (like a bad balloon)." Then the ground came up "really fast followed by a very hard impact." There was "only runway visible in the windshield." The airplane became airborne again as engine power was increased and it drifted over the grass on the left side of the runway. The PIC and the SP "had a positive exchange of the controls." She thinks the PIC said, "You got it?" and the SP replied, "I got it." The SP maneuvered the airplane back over the runway and made a crosswind landing, touching down on the right wheel first. When the left wheel touched, the airplane veered to the left, skidded onto the grass, and came to an "abrupt" halt. The safety pilot included with her statement a diagram showing the point where the airplane touched down, propeller strike marks in the asphalt, and the point where the airplane went off the side of the runway. Also included were CAP Form 104, Mission Flight Plan/Briefing Form, and COWG Form 1, Aircraft Flight Record. Both forms listed the pilot-in-command and passengers. The Civil Air Patrol conducted its own investigation of the accident and made available copies of those statements submitted by the pilots and witnesses, and a sketch of the mishap site. In addition the left main, nose gear, and propeller damage, the firewall was buckled and the left wing leading edge was crushed. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N6271N](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6271N-2018-01-05), registration cancelled 2018-01-05, S/N 18267815, built 1981 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 182R - Registry model: [Cessna T182](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-t182) (registry code 2072736) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 18267815 - Airframe hours: 3822 - Engines: Lycoming O-540-L3C5D 235 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Public aircraft, Public use - Operator: Civil Air Patrol - Registered owner: Civil Air Patrol - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, June 24, 2002, 33 hours before - Departed: 1V6, Canon City - Destination: APA, Englewood, CO - Flight plan: Company VFR - Airport: APA, Centennial, runway 35R, 10,002 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 63; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review April 27, 2002; seat: right; flight hours: 1,099 total, 632 in this make and model, 1,036 as pilot in command, 27 in the last 90 days, 7 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours - Other flight crew; age 35; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review June 3, 2002; seat: left; flight hours: 497 total, 11 in this make and model, 446 as pilot in command, 73 in the last 90 days, 34 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 50° at 12 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 84 °F, dew point 46 °F - Altimeter: 30.12 inHg - Observed at: APA ## 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 20020721021829A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020721021829A), Jul 21, 2002: Cessna 182R, Denver, CO, Substantial damage. (-23) The second pilot was making a simulated ILS approach to runway 35R at apa. Second pilot removed the instrument hood at 300 ft agl-reported runway in… ## Docket (9 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 10, 2002, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=55270. 1.3 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 810 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40455992&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Supplement E (item 2, .PDF, 123 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40172012&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Supplement%20E-Master.PDF - Supplement S (item 3, .PDF, 35 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40172013&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Supplement%20S-Master.PDF - Accident Scene Diagram (item 4, .PDF, 35 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40172014&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Accident%20Scene%20Diagram-Master.PDF - CAP Form 104 (item 5, .PDF, 44 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40455993&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=CAP%20Form%20104-Redacted.PDF - COWG Form 1 (item 6, .PDF, 51 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40455994&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=COWG%20Form%201-Redacted.PDF - Witness Statement (item 7, .PDF, 44 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40172017&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Witness%20Statement-Master.PDF - CAP Accident Scene Diagram (item 8, .PDF, 32 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40172018&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=CAP%20Accident%20Scene%20Diagram-Master.PDF - Weather Reports and Records (item 9, .PDF, 109 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40172019&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Reports%20and%20Records-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.