- Date
- July 13, 1997, 16:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Ellington, CT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2539RCessna 182K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 11, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970713018619A
- Case key
- 28213
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 misjudgment of speed and distance and his failure to execute a go around.
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 he overflew the airport and checked the windsock. He said the winds were variable so he planned for a landing on runway 19. He pulled the power to idle as he approached the threshold, but the airplane did not settle onto the 1,800 foot long runway. After the airplane touched down, he indicated that the brakes were unable to stop the airplane on the remaining runway, the airplane overran the end of the runway, and nosed over into a ditch. The pilot reported there was no mechanical malfunction with the airplane or engine. The reported winds at the time of the accident were from 280 degrees at 10 knots.
Factual narrative
On July 13, 1997, at 1600 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 182K, N2539R, was substantially damaged when it struck a ditch during the landing roll at Ellington Airport, Ellington, Connecticut. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91, and originated at New Bedford, Massachusetts.
The pilot said he overflew the airport, and checked the windsock. He said the winds appeared to be variable, so he planned his approach for runway 19. A full flap landing was initiated with an approach speed of 80 mph. As he approached the threshold, he pulled the power back to idle, but the airplane did not settle onto the 1,800 foot long runway.
He further stated:
"...I pulled back and the plane settled down to the asphalt. I began to apply brakes to slow down as I knew that the runway was rather short. I immediately noticed that the brakes did not seem to be stopping the aircraft even though the tires were squealing...I saw the grass and the cornfield at the end of the runway and realized that I may not be able to stop before the end of the runway. At that point, I did not believe that a safe go-around was possible... ." The airplane then exited the runway, and nosed over into a ditch.
The pilot said that there was no mechanical malfunction with the airplane or the engine. He said the accident could have been prevented if the ditch was not there, as he would have been able to stop with little if any damage. The reported winds at the time of the accident were from 280 degrees at 10 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2539R
- Reported as
- Cessna 182K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18258239
- Airframe hours
- 4,346
- Engine
- Continental O-470-R, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John E Willard Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 9, 1997 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- EWB · New Bedford, MA
- Destination
- 7B9 · CT
- Airport
- 7B9 · Ellington, runway 19, 1,800 × 50 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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 450 total · 247 in this make and model · 450 as pilot in command · 33 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BDL, 11 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.