ERA12CA581

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 208B · Statesboro, GA · September 26, 2012

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
September 26, 2012, 10:30 local (14:30 UTC)
Place
Statesboro, GA
Injuries
6 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N127ARCessna 208B
Defining event
Landing: Hard landing
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report April 10, 2013
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Eastern Region Aviation
Parties
FAA / FSDO
FAA report
20120926020359A
Case key
85157

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 inadequate flare, which resulted in a hard landing.

Findings · 2

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.

Performance/control parameters: landing flareAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedCessna 208B: 6 casesAll aircraft: 1,285 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotCessna 208B: 19 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 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

According to the flight instructor, the purpose of the flight was to complete recurrent training in the airplane. While on the downwind leg for a landing on runway 5, the flight instructor configured the airplane for a simulated engine failure maneuver. The pilot said he told the instructor that the airplane was too high for a landing on runway 5, so they agreed that he would land on runway 32.The pilot said that as he turned the airplane onto the final leg for runway 32, the airplane overshot the centerline and it began to descend about 200 feet per minute. About 150 feet above ground level, the pilot added power, but the airplane continued to descend and the left main gear and left wing tip impacted the runway and the airplane bounced. The pilot added full power and executed a go-around. The pilot said that during the go-around he noticed that the left outboard wing was bent and an observer in the back of the airplane reported that the left main landing gear was bent. The pilot said he flew the airplane around the pattern, and after the airplane landed, he noted it was difficult to steer the airplane and the airplane veered off the runway and came to rest in a grassy area. During the hard landing, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The flight instructor reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Factual narrative

According to the flight instructor, the purpose of the flight was to complete recurrent training in the airplane. While on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern, the flight instructor configured the airplane for a simulated engine failure maneuver. The airplane was about a quarter mile from the runway on the base leg of the traffic pattern and the ground proximity warning system announced “500 feet.” As the pilot turned the airplane onto the final leg of the traffic pattern, the airplane overshot the centerline and it began to descend about 200 feet per minute. Then, about 150 feet above ground level, the pilot began to add power, but the airplane continued to descend and subsequently impacted the runway and bounced. The pilot recovered the airplane from the bounce, proceeded to takeoff and flew the airplane around the pattern. The occupants of the airplane noted that the left wing was bent and witness told them that the left main landing gear was bent. During the landing, the airplane veered off the runway and came to rest in a grassy area. During the accident sequence, the airplane incurred substantial damage to the left wing. The flight instructor reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Aircraft

Registration
N127AR
Reported as
Cessna 208B
Category
Airplane
Serial number
208B1055
Airframe hours
3,310
Engine
P&W PT6A SER, 675 horsepower, turbo prop
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Operator
Dst, LLC
Registered owner
Tenax Aerospace, LLC
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Continuous airworthiness · September 6, 2012
Departed
SAV · Savannah, GA
Destination
TBR · Statesboro, GA
Airport
TBR · Statesboro-Bulloch County, runway 32, 6,000 × 100 ft, asphalt

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
49
Injuries
None
Certificate
Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
September 27, 2011
Seat
Left
Flight hours
9,000 total · 1,025 in this make and model · 7,403 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Role
Flight instructor
Age
66
Injuries
None
Certificates
Flight instructor, Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
Instrument ratings
Helicopter, Airplane
Medical
Class 1, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
February 1, 2005
Seat
Right
Flight hours
9,100 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 6,000 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
50° at 4 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
75 °F, dew point 63 °F
Altimeter
30.21 inHg
Observed at
TBR

Docket · 6

The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 11, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.4 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.