- Date
- March 26, 2005, 17:00 local (Mar 27, 2005, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sacramento, CA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5748BCessna 182
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20050326004959A
- Case key
- 61216
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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Probable cause
a fatigue failure of the right side steering link rod for the nose landing gear steering system.
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
During the landing rollout, the airplane veered sharply left and nosed down until the right wing impacted the runway. During the subsequent airframe examination, a component of the nose gear steering system was observed broken. The component was the right side steering link rod. It had failed in fatigue, separated from the steering assembly, then the corresponding left side rod end failed in overload, and all steering control was lost.
Factual narrative
On March 26, 2005, about 1700 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 182, N5748B, operated by its owner-pilot, experienced a mechanical malfunction during takeoff roll at the McClellan Airfield, Sacramento, California. The pilot immediately reversed course and returned for a landing on runway 34. According to the pilot, during rollout the airplane shook and he lost directional control. The airplane veered sharply left, and it nosed down until the right wing impacted the runway. The airplane was substantially damaged. Neither the private pilot nor the two passengers were injured during the personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight was performed under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, and it originated about 1630.
The pilot indicated that although runway 34 is 10,600 feet long by 200 feet wide, he was not able to control the airplane's course during landing rollout because of the mechanical problem related to his lack of nose gear steering control. During the subsequent airframe examination, a nose gear steering linkage component was observed broken.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector subsequently examined the damaged airplane and reported his findings. The FAA inspector stated that the right side steering link assembly rod end appeared to have fractured in fatigue. The fracture occurred outboard of the link's jam nut at its hard point casting on the nose gear assembly. Following the link's separation, the left side steering link rod end failed in overload, and the dampener internal static stop limit was exceeded, resulting in the dampener shearing off at its attachment point.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5748B
- Reported as
- Cessna 182
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 33748
- Airframe hours
- 3,529
- Engine
- Continental O-470, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Donald D. Ridenour
- Registered owner
- Donald D. Ridenour
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2004 · 4 hours before
- Departed
- MCC · Sacramento, CA
- Destination
- MCC
- Airport
- MCC · McClellan Airfield, runway 34, 10,600 × 200 ft, concrete
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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2005
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 139 total · 46 in this make and model · 90 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- SMF, 9 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.