- Date
- November 11, 2019, 17:05 local (Nov 12, 2019, 00:05 UTC)
- Place
- San Luis, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N91846Cessna 182
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20191111020689A
- Case key
- 100557
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 improper pitch attitude during landing on rising terrain in flat light conditions, which resulted in a hard landing.
Findings · 4
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
The pilot reported that, during landing at dusk and into the setting sun, "flat light" conditions existed. The private, dirt airstrip increased in gradient as he landed to the west. When the airplane was about 75 knots airspeed, the pilot increased the flaps, attempted to bleed off airspeed, and touched down. He said the airplane landed hard "because…[he] literally did not see it coming." The nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, the lower fuselage, and the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during landing at dusk, and into the setting sun, he observed "flat light" conditions. The private dirt airstrip increased in gradient as he landed to the west. About 75 knots airspeed, the pilot increased the flaps, attempted to bleed off airspeed, and touched down. The airplane landed hard, "because I literally did not see it coming." The nose gear collapsed, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, the lower fuselage and the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N91846
- Reported as
- Cessna 182 (M)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18259931
- Built
- 1969
- Airframe hours
- 3,293.6
- Engine
- Continental O-470-R, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 19, 2019
- Departed
- ALS · Alamosa, CO
- Destination
- ALS · Alamosa, CO
- Airport
- 33CO · Melby Ranch Airstrip, runway 21, 7,400 × 40 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Stall warning system
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
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Last flight review
- May 6, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 2,779.6 total · 2,680 in this make and model · 2,710.1 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 0.6 in the last 30 days · 0.6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- KALS, 29 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 30, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.7 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.