- Date
- December 10, 2011, 10:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Lowman, ID
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N800YDCessna 182C
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 16, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20111210029529A
- Case key
- 82491
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 misjudgment of the runway surface firmness, which resulted in a nose-over during the landing roll.
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 pilot reported that he determined that the snow-covered runway was suitable for landing, based, in part, upon overflying it and seeing snowmobile tracks, which indicated to him that the surface was firm enough. After touching down on the main landing gear, the pilot held the nosewheel off the ground with full-aft elevator pressure, but, when the nosewheel settled, the airplane pitched down violently. It traveled for about 80 feet in the nose-down attitude before it abruptly nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the right wing and rudder. The pilot indicated that there were no mechanical issues with the airplane that would have precluded its normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that after overflying the snow-covered runway he determined that it was suitable to land on. His determination was based in part on observing snowmobile tracks on the runway, which indicated to him that the surface was firm enough to land on. After touching down he held the nose wheel off the ground with full aft elevator pressure, but when he lowered the nose wheel onto the snow-covered surface the airplane pitched down violently. The airplane subsequently traveled for about 80 feet in the nose down attitude before it abruptly nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the right wing and rudder. The pilot indicated that there were no mechanical issues with the airplane that would have precluded its normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N800YD
- Reported as
- Cessna 182C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 52418
- Airframe hours
- 5,209
- Engine
- Continental O-470L, 220 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Jeffrey Vanhoozer
- Registered owner
- T-Craft Aero Club Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 10, 2011
- Departed
- U88 · Garden Valley, ID
- Destination
- 0U1 · Lowman, ID
- Airport
- 0U1 · Warm Springs Creek, runway 02, 2,850 × 135 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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 19, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 315 total · 165 in this make and model · 5 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.30 inHg
- Observed at
- BOI, 32 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 23, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 466 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.