# NTSB LAX04LA211: Cessna T182T, N5341G, Paulden, AZ, May 15, 2004 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 14, 2004, 17:30 local (May 15, 2004, 00:30 UTC) - Place: Paulden, AZ - Coordinates: 34.883335, -112.466667 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.8833&lon=-112.4667&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report December 28, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 59228 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX04LA211 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/59228/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX04LA211 ## Probable cause The pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions and failure to maintain an adequate airspeed. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - weather condition - crosswind - compensation for wind conditions - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - weather condition - gusts - airspeed - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - stall/mush - encountered, pilot in command ## Analysis The airplane touched down hard while landing at a private airstrip. The student pilot stated he flew around his farm and was coming in for landing at his private airstrip. The runway is oriented on a 120-degree magnetic heading. He indicated he had a "slight crosswind," but felt confident he could handle it. He said that during the landing flare, the airplane encountered a "dust devil," which "porpoised the airplane up." The pilot noticed the airspeed drop to zero, so he elected to continue with the landing instead of attempting a go-around at a low airspeed. The airplane impacted the ground damaging the main landing gear, the wings, and the empennage. The closest aviation weather reporting facility, which is approximately 13 miles south of the accident site, reported the wind from 250 degrees at 11 knots with gusts to 16 knots. The student reported having accumulated a total of 60 flight hours, of which approximately 35 hours were in the accident airplane. The pilot reported there were no anomalies with the airplane prior to the accident. ## Factual narrative On May 14, 2004, at 1730 mountain standard time, a Cessna T182T single-engine airplane, N5341G, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during landing at a private airstrip near Paulden, Arizona. The airplane was registered to, and operated by, the pilot. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 local area instructional flight. The flight departed another private airstrip approximately 15 minutes prior to the accident. During a telephone interview conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge, the student pilot stated he flew around his farm and was coming in for landing at his private airstrip. He indicated he had a "slight crosswind," but felt confident he could handle it. During the landing flare, the airplane encountered a "dust devil," which "porpoised the airplane up." The pilot noticed the airspeed drop to zero, so he elected to continue with the landing instead of attempting a go-around at a low airspeed. The airplane impacted the ground damaging the main landing gear, the wings, and the empennage. At 1653, the weather observation facility at the Earnest A. Love Field, Prescott, Arizona (located approximately 13 miles south of the accident site), reported the wind from 250 degrees at 11 knots with gusts to 16 knots. The student reported having accumulated a total of 60 flight hours, of which approximately 35 hours were in the accident airplane. The pilot reported there were no anomalies with the airplane prior to the accident. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N5341G](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5341G), registered now, S/N T18208195, built 2003 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna T182T - Registry model: [Cessna T182T](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-t182t) (registry code 2072738) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming TI0-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (registry code 41533, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: T18208195 - Engines: Lycoming IO-540-AK1A 235 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Timothy J. Coury - Registered owner: Tim's Buick, Pontiac, GMC Truck & Toyota, Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: NONE, Paulden, AZ - Airport: Private Airstrip, runway 12, dirt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Student pilot; age 44; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 60 total, 35 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 250° at 11 knots, gusting 16 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 19 °F - Altimeter: 30.03 inHg - Observed at: PRC, 13 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20040515016589A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040515016589A), May 15, 2004: Cessna T182T, Paulden, AZ, Substantial damage. (-23) Pilot stated that he was practicing touch & go landings. During the last landing phase, while attempting to land into a slight crosswind from the right,… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.