- Date
- August 3, 1998, 15:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Watkins, CO
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N5099ECessna 182R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980803019769A
- Case key
- 43612
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 loss of control during taxi due to excessive taxi speed.
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.
Analysis
The pilot was 40 miles from the intended destination when a level 6 thunderstorm was reported to be over the airport at the time of estimated arrival, and he diverted to another airport. He landed on runway 35 and exited the runway. The pilot stated that the taxiway over to the terminal appeared to be approximately 2 miles away, and in order to save time, he taxied at a speed of 25 to 30 mph. There was a rise in the taxiway, and the pilot was unable to see the right taxiway exit in enough time to slow his taxi speed in order to execute a right turn. As a result, the aircraft departed the taxiway, and came to rest in a ditch west of the taxiway, approximately 15 feet below the taxiway pavement.
Factual narrative
On August 3, 1998, approximately 1500 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 182R, N5099E, sustained substantial damage when the pilot failed to negotiate a turn while taxiing from landing at Front Range Airport, Watkins, Colorado. The private pilot and his passenger sustained minor injuries. The flight was operating under Title 14 CFR Part 91 and no flight plan was filed for this cross-country flight which originated from Omaha, Nebraska, at 1200 central daylight time, with an intended destination of Centennial Airport, Englewood, Colorado. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
According to the pilot, he was 40 miles from Centennial Airport when a level 6 thunderstorm was reported to be over the destination airport at the time of intended arrival. He made the decision to divert to Front Range Airport. He landed on runway 35 (8000 ft. x 100 ft., asphalt) and exited the runway. The pilot stated that the taxiway over to the terminal appeared to be approximately 2 miles away, and in order to save time, he taxied at a speed of 25 to 30 mph. There was a rise in the taxiway, and the pilot was unable to see the right taxiway exit in enough time to slow his taxi speed and execute a right turn. The aircraft departed the taxiway, and came to rest in a ditch west of the taxiway, approximately 15 feet below the taxiway pavement.
Postaccident examination of the aircraft revealed that there was damage to the propeller, the engine, engine mount, and firewall. There was also damage to the landing gear, wing tips, and propeller.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5099E
- Reported as
- Cessna 182R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18268288
- Airframe hours
- 1,945
- Engine
- Continental O-470-, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William H. Wallace
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 1998 · 41 hours before
- Departed
- OMA · Omaha, NE
- Destination
- APA · Englewood, CO
- Airport
- FTG · Front Range Airport, runway 35, 8,000 × 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 76
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,505 total · 960 in this make and model · 1,505 as pilot in command · 45 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DEN, 8 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.