- Date
- November 20, 1998, 10:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- St. Petersburg, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8620TCessna 182C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 1999
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19981120032529A
- Case key
- 45356
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 misjudged the flare, resulting in a hard land and subsequent damage to the airplane.
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 flight was under a special VFR request en route to St. Petersburg. According to the pilot, as he began to flare the airplane the plane dropped as if a strong downdraft hit. The reported winds and visibility at the airport about the time of the accident was reported as: winds from 140 degrees at 5 knots, and the visibility was 1 3/4 sm, with haze. The accident was not reported immediately after it had occurred, about 1 week later an FAA inspector was doing a surveillance at an FBO (fixed base operator) and noticed N8620T with it's nose gear 'severely bent aft.' When the inspector examined the wreckage it was determined that the airplane had sustained substantial damage. According to the FAA's report, '[the] pilot had a hard landing causing substantial damage to the aircraft structure.'
Factual narrative
On November 20, 1998, about 1045 eastern standard time, a Cessna 182C, N8620T, registered to a private individual, collided with terrain during a landing at the Albert Whitted Airport, St. Petersburg, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a VFR flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged. The private pilot, and one passenger reported no injuries. The flight originated about 1030, from Palmetto, Florida.
The flight departed Palmetto and the pilot requested a special VFR en route to St. Petersburg. According to the pilot, as he began to flare the airplane the plane dropped as if a strong downdraft hit. The reported winds and visibility at the airport about the time of the accident was reported as: winds from 140 degrees at 5 knots, and the visibility was 1 3/4 sm, with haze.
The accident was not reported immediately after it had occurred, about 1 week later an FAA inspector was doing a surveillance at a FBO (fixed base operator) and noticed N8620T with its nose gear "severely bent aft." When the inspector examined the wreckage it was determined that the airplane had sustained substantial damage. According to the FAA's report, "[the] pilot had a hard landing causing substantial damage to the aircraft structure."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8620T
- Reported as
- Cessna 182C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 52520
- Airframe hours
- 2,336
- Engine
- Lycoming O-370L, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John C. Greenlaw
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 1998 · 56 hours before
- Departed
- 48X · Palmetto, FL
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- SPG · Albert Whitted, runway 36, 2,864 × 150 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
- 81
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 703 total · 32 in this make and model · 703 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 1.75 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SPG
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.