- Date
- January 6, 2010, 15:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Metaline Falls, WA
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N48ZZCessna 182J
- Defining event
- Landing: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 23, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100106025649A
- Case key
- 75235
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 decision to land on a closed, snow-covered runway.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The private pilot was landing on a remote, snow-covered, seasonal airstrip that was closed. He reported that when the airplane touched down, the nose gear broke through the 5-6 inches of crusted snow on the runway and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and wings. The pilot reported no pre-accident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane. The Federal Aviation Administration Airport Facility Directory entry for the airport noted that the airport was unattended and closed from October 1 through June 1 each year.
Factual narrative
The private pilot was landing a wheel-equipped airplane on a remote, snow-covered, seasonal airstrip that was closed. He reported that when the airplane touched down, the nose gear broke through the 5-6 inches of crusted snow on the runway and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and wings. The pilot reported no pre-accident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane. The FAA Airport Facility Directory entry for the airport noted that the airport was unattended and closed from October 1 through June 1 each year.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N48ZZ
- Reported as
- Cessna 182J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18257590
- Airframe hours
- 4,372
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Clint Vanderhoof
- Registered owner
- Minden Kenneth J
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 2009
- Departed
- Ione, WA
- Destination
- 09S · Metaline Falls, WA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- 09S · Sullivan Lake State Airport, runway 34, 1,765 × 150 ft, grass/turf
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
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Foreign, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 23, 2009
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total · 54 in this make and model · 10 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 100 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 30 °F
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 25, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 259 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.