# NTSB SEA02LA077: Cessna 177B, N34858, New Plymouth, ID, April 28, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 28, 2002, 13:00 local (19:00 UTC) - Place: New Plymouth, ID - Coordinates: 43.94889, -116.871109 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.9489&lon=-116.8711&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 8, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 54605 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=SEA02LA077 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/54605/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54605 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA02LA077 ## Probable cause The pilot's use of unsuitable terrain (landing surface) at his privately owned landing site. A contribtuing factor was the soft area which the aircraft's right main wheel encountered. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Main gear collapsed, landing - flare/touchdown - unsuitable terrain or takeoff/landing/taxi area - used, pilot in command (cause) - terrain condition - soft (contributing factor) ## Analysis The pilot of the Cessna 177B was landing at his private strip to the south on the 1,300 foot long dirt runway when the right main gear encountered soft terrain. The wheel sunk in and then the right gear collapsed. ## Factual narrative On April 28, 2002, approximately 1300 mountain daylight time (MDT), a Cessna 177B, N34858, registered to and being flown by an airline transport pilot, sustained substantial damage when the right main landing gear collapsed on landing roll at the owner's personal landing site approximately two nautical miles southwest of New Plymouth, Idaho. The pilot and accompanying passenger were uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was personal, was operated under 14 CFR 91 and had originated from McCall, Idaho, approximately 1200 MDT. According to Payette County Sheriff's Office report number 0202542, the responding deputy reported that the pilot was "...landing on his private landing strip..." when the accident occurred. He also reported that the tail of the aircraft was damaged as was the right wing and the right landing gear. He also reported that the aircraft's "...landing gear failed when he hit the ground...." The pilot indicated that he was landing to the south on the non-airspaced 1,300-foot long dirt strip, which he reported as being 100 feet wide. He further reported that he "...touched down in a patch of soft dirt..." and that the "...r[igh]t landing gear sunk in and rotated backwards...." The pilot also reported in the "Recommendation" section of his submitted NTSB Form 6120.1 (attached), "Soft dirt that had been compacted, should be checked for gopher holes, water leakage or condition more frequently." ## Aircraft - Registration: [N34858](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N34858), registered now, S/N 17702049, built 1973 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 177B - Registry model: [Cessna 177B](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-177b) (registry code 2073708) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O&VO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (registry code 41514, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17702049 - Airframe hours: 1374 - Engines: Lycoming O-360-A1F6D 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Schmid, Walter A. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, March 19, 2002, 26 hours before - Departed: MYL, McCall, ID - Destination: New Plymouth, ID - Airport: runway 18, 1,300 × 100 ft, dirt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 44; injuries: none; airline transport, flight instructor, military; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review January 31, 2002; seat: right; flight hours: 7,700 total, 274 in this make and model, 3,223 as pilot in command, 42 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 310° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 61 °F, dew point 34 °F - Altimeter: 30.14 inHg - Observed at: EUL, 21 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 20020428007649A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020428007649A), Apr 28, 2002: Cessna 177B, Newplymouth, ID, No damage. (-23) On landing at the pilots own dirt landing strip, the right main gear touched down in soft dirt. The right main landing gear broke loose from it's… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 30, 2002, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54605. 359 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 320 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40432540&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Supplement S (item 2, .PDF, 40 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40174013&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Supplement%20S-Master.PDF 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.