- Date
- May 16, 2018, 17:00 local (May 17, 2018, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Prescott, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N182EWCessna 182
- Defining event
- Taxi-into takeoff position: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180516005449A
- Case key
- 97316
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 taxiing too fast on rough terrain, which resulted in a loss of directional control.
Findings · 3
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.
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 pilot, during taxi on a loose dirt surface, he initiated a left 180° turn. He reported that he was using a "fairly aggressive power setting to compensate for the surface conditions." During the left turn, the right wingtip struck the ground. Additionally, the propeller struck the ground, and the airplane then rolled left, and the left wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to left wing. The pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented if the airplane's power setting had not been more than what was needed and that "a more conservative power setting and slower taxi speed could prevent future occurrences." The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, during taxi on a loose dirt surface, he initiated a left 180° turn. He reported that he was using a "fairly aggressive power setting to compensate for the surface conditions." During the left turn, the right wing-tip struck the ground. Additionally, the propeller struck the ground and the airplane rolled left and the left wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to left wing. Per the National Transportation Safety Board, Pilot Aircraft Accident Report, in the Recommendation section, the pilot asserted that the accident could have been prevented if the airplanes power setting had not been more than what was needed. "A more conservative power setting and slower taxi speed could prevent future occurrences." The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N182EW
- Reported as
- Cessna 182 (P)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18264841
- Built
- 1976
- Airframe hours
- 3,440
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO-470-F, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 12, 2018
- Departed
- ALW · Walla Walla, WA
- Destination
- Prescott, WA
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot
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
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 21, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 283 total · 39 in this make and model · 162 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.85 inHg
- Observed at
- ALW
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 4, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.7 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.