- Date
- June 17, 2002, 21:00 local (Jun 18, 2002, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Chesterfield, VA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2182CCessna 177B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20020617017679A
- Case key
- 54980
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
pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing at night.
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 said the purpose of the flight was to get current with night landings. On final approach to the 5,500 foot long paved runway in calm wind, the pilot said the airplane was high so he increased the angle of descent. Upon touchdown, the airplane landed hard and porpoised several times. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies.
Factual narrative
On June 17, 2002, at 2100 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 177B, N2182C, was substantially damaged during landing on runway 33 at Chesterfield County Airport (FCI), Chesterfield, Virginia. The certificated private pilot/owner sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
In a written statement, the pilot said that the purpose of the flight was to get current with night landings. He departed the airport and proceeded direct to the PUBBS non-directional beacon (NDB), where he then entered the instrument landing system (ILS) approach for runway 33. The pilot said that he was flying by visual reference and used the ILS for guidance. He said:
"There were no other aircraft in the pattern so I proceeded to land on 33. I was a little high so I increased my angle of descent. I touched down pretty hard and the plane porpoised several times. On one of these the damage was done. I wasn't aware of the damage, but my back hurt so I taxied to my hangar. The weather was clear and the wind was calm"
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector performed an examination of the airplane. According to the inspector, the firewall was wrinkled.
Runway 33 was a 5,500 foot long and 100 foot wide asphalt runway with pilot controlled lighting.
The pilot reported a total of 634 flight hours, of which 488 hours were in make and model. He also reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies.
Weather at Richmond International Airport, Richmond, Virginia, about 11 nautical miles northeast, at 2054, included wind from 100 degrees at 4 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, and few clouds at 5,500 feet.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2182C
- Reported as
- Cessna 177B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17702749
- Airframe hours
- 1,797.4
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1F6D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William B. Otis Jr
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 5, 2002 · 2.3 hours before
- Departed
- FCI · Chesterfield, VA
- Destination
- FCI · Chesterfield, VA
- Airport
- FCI · Chesterfield County, runway 33, 5,500 × 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
- 74
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- March 9, 2002
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 634 total · 488 in this make and model · 581 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 100° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- RIC, 11 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 24, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 459 KB 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.