# NTSB FTW97LA308: Cessna 182P, N182WJ, Arriba, CO, August 10, 1997

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: August 9, 1997, 18:00 local (Aug 10, 1997, 00:00 UTC)
- Place: Arriba, CO
- Coordinates: 39.27959, -103.269538 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.2796&lon=-103.2695&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 3 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report June 26, 1998
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 20311
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW97LA308
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/20311/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA308

## Probable cause

failure of the pilot to properly plan the flight and determine the field conditions before landing.  The soft runway condition was a related factor.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Nose over, landing - roll
  - preflight planning/preparation - inadequate, pilot in command (cause)
  - airport facilities,runway/landing area condition - soft (contributing factor)

## Analysis

At the end of a cross-country flight to an unfamiliar private grass landing strip, the pilot performed a normal landing. The landing strip was soft, and when the pilot lowered the nose wheel to the ground during landing roll, it dug-in, and the aircraft nosed over. The owner's manual did not contain any procedure or information regarding soft field landings.

## Factual narrative

On August 9, 1997, at 1800 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 182P, N182WJ, nosed over during landing roll at a private airstrip near Arriba, Colorado.  The private pilot and his two passengers were not injured and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this personal flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91 and no flight plan was filed.  The flight departed Englewood, Colorado, at 1700.

According to the pilot, he flew a standard pattern and landed with 20 degrees of flaps and 70 knots airspeed.  The airstrip was grass, soft, and when the nose wheel touched down during landing roll it dug into the soft ground and the aircraft nosed over causing damage to the engine/propeller, wings, and vertical stabilizer.  The pilot said he was not aware the field was soft and he was unfamiliar with the facility.

The Cessna 182 Owner's Manual does not contain soft field landing procedures or any other information pertaining to soft field landings.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N182WJ](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N182WJ), registered now, S/N 18262737 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Cessna 182P
- Registry model: [Cessna 182P](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-182p) (registry code 2075816) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 18262737
- Airframe hours: 2750
- Engines: Continental O-470-R15 230 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Operator: Michael Freilinger
- Registered owner: Wings Of Denver
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: 100 hour, July 27, 1997, 14 hours before
- Departed: APA, ENGLEWOOD, CO
- Destination: NONE
- Airport: Arriba (Private), runway 17, 5,000 × 65 ft, grass/turf

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 42; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 146 total, 28 in this make and model, 12 in the last 90 days, 8 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: calm
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 75 °F

## 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 19970809021449A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970809021449A), Aug 9, 1997: Cessna 182P, Arriba, CO, Substantial damage. Aircraft was landing on grass strip, landed wide of runway, ran into mud, landing gear became stuck, flipped.

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.

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