- Date
- April 17, 2012, 15:20 local (23:20 UTC)
- Place
- Georgetown, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3272SCessna 182G
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 18, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administratin
- FAA report
- 20120417006689A
- Case key
- 83416
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 failure to maintain control of the airplane while landing with a gusting wind.
Findings · 3
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 stated that he flew over the airport and observed the windsock favoring runway 16 with a 5- to 8-knot crosswind. He made the landing approach with the right wing down, and had good directional control. The airplane was in the flare when it encountered two wind gusts that lifted the airplane and caused it to land hard twice. Upon the second hard landing, the nose pitched down and the airplane veered to the left, off the runway, over a taxiway, and impacted a hangar nose first. The pilot expressed concerns that the pilot's seat may have slid back during the landing. The seat and seat rails were in compliance with applicable airworthiness directives and were properly functioning. The right wing and fuselage were substantially damaged.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he flew over the airport and observed the windsock favoring runway 16 with a 5- to 8-knot crosswind. He made the landing approach with the right wing down, and had good directional control. The airplane was in the flare when it encountered two wind gusts that lifted the airplane, and caused it to land hard twice. Upon the second hard landing, the nose pitched down and the airplane veered to the left, off the runway, across a dirt strip, over a taxi way, and impacted a hanger nose first. The pilot expressed concerns that the pilot's seat may have slid back during the landing. A Federal Aviation (FAA) inspector and an Airframe & Powerplant Mechanic examined the seat and seat rails, and found it in compliance with applicable Airworthiness Directives (AD) and properly functioning. The right wing and fuselage were substantially damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3272S
- Reported as
- Cessna 182G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18255772
- Airframe hours
- 3,076
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2011
- Departed
- KS2P · Santa Paula, CA
- Destination
- KE36 · Georgetown, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- KE36 · Georgetown Airport, runway 16, 2,980 × 60 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
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Last flight review
- March 11, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 22,572 total · 114 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- KAUN, 10 nm away
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 6, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.9 MB 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.