WPR13LA359

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 182P · Stanwood, WA · August 4, 2013

Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
August 4, 2013, 11:30 local (18:30 UTC)
Place
Stanwood, WA
Injuries
2 serious
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N58437Cessna 182P
Defining event
Landing-aborted after touchdown: Collision during takeoff/land
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report November 13, 2014
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Western Pacific Region
Parties
Federal Aviation Administration
FAA report
20130804013139A
Case key
87685

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot’s unstabilized approach and his subsequent failure to maintain airspeed during the aborted landing, which resulted in a stall and the airplane bouncing hard on the runway.

Findings · 4

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.

Performance/control parameters: landing flareAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Related operating infoCessna 182P: 14 casesAll aircraft: 1,285 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: airspeedAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Incorrect use/operationCessna 182P: 5 casesAll aircraft: 1,681 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: angle of attackAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedCessna 182P: 3 casesAll aircraft: 990 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotCessna 182P: 48 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause

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, as he approached the destination airport, he maneuvered the airplane to enter a standard traffic pattern. When on final approach, he fully extended the wing flaps while reducing the engine power. He then temporarily added power to attain adequate clearance from trees located before the runway. During the descent, the stall warning horn intermittently sounded and then continuously sounded. The airplane stalled and, upon touchdown, it bounced hard on the runway surface. The pilot chose to abort the landing and then applied full power. As the engine power increased, the pilot was not able to keep the nose down before the airplane again stalled. The airplane bounced hard and rolled onto its side. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented if he had executed a better short-field landing procedure to eliminate the airplane bouncing upon touchdown.

Factual narrative

The Camano Island Airfield was a FAR Part 139 certificated facility that had one hard-surfaced asphalt runway (runway 16/34). The runway was 1,750 feet long and 24 feet wide. According to the FAA Airport Facility Directory, the first 1,049 feet of runway 16 has a 3 percent uphill slope to the south and student landings were not recommended unless accompanied by the flight instructor. On August 04, 2013, about 1130 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 182P, N58437, collided with terrain shortly after the pilot aborted the landing at Camano Island Airfield, Stanwood, Washington. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The private pilot and passenger sustained serious injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The local personal flight departed from Boeing Field/King County International Airport, Seattle, Washington about 1100 with a planned destination of Stanwood. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and the pilot had filed a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan. Several witnesses observed the accident sequence. They stated that the airplane was landing on runway 16, which slopes upward at the first section. The airplane touched down hard after the mid-field area and bounced. The pilot then appeared to add full engine power in an attempt to abort the landing. The airplane climbed about 40 to 50 feet and stalled, descending into terrain. The pilot stated that as he approached the vicinity of the airport, he observed the windsock indicating a light crosswind for runway 16. He maneuvered the airplane in a standard right-traffic pattern and when on final approach, he extended the flaps fully down while reducing the engine power. In an effort to ensure adequate clearance from trees located at the north end of the runway, he temporarily added power. While descending to the runway, the stall warning would intermittently sound and then there was a continuous stall horn. The airplane stalled and bounced hard on the runway surface. The pilot opted to abort the landing and applied full power. The engine hesitated and he began to retract the flaps. Subsequently the airplane lurched airborne as the engine power increased and the pilot was not able to maneuver the nose down before the airplane again stalled. The airplane bounced hard and rolled onto its side. In the section titled "RECOMMENDATION" in the NTSB Pilot/Operator Report, form 6120.1/2, the pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented if he had executed a better short-field landing procedure to eliminate the airplane bouncing upon touchdown. He thought that because the airplane was loaded with a forward center of gravity, that a short-field landing was inadvisable because of the increased chance of a power-on stall during a go-around. He noted that he hadn't practiced short-field landings in over 10 months and should have considered a different destination. The pilot was certified to operate the accidentairplane in accordance with existing Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs). A review of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airman and Medical Records database disclosed that the pilot held a private pilot certificate, with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument flight. The pilot's third-class medical certificate was issued in April 2009, with no limitations. The pilot's self-reported flight time indicated he had amassed 270 hours total flight experience, with 100 hours accumulated in Cessna 182 airplanes. The pilot reported that during the preceding 90 days, 30 days, and 24 hours, he had flown in the capacity of pilot-in-command approximately 46, 15, and 0 hours, respectively. The pilot stated that he had purchased the airplane about one year before the accident. He recalled that he had been to the airport on past flights.

Aircraft

Registration
N58437
Reported as
Cessna 182P
Category
Airplane
Serial number
18262061
Airframe hours
3,949
Engine
Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · October 12, 2012 · 66 hours before
Departed
BFI · Seattle, WA
Destination
13W · Stanwood, WA
Flight plan
VFR
Airport
13W · Camano Island Airfield, runway 16, 1,750 × 24 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
43
Injuries
Serious
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
June 28, 2013
Seat
Left
Flight hours
270 total · 100 in this make and model · 189 as pilot in command · 46 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
270° at 3 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
3,000 ft broken
Temperature
61 °F, dew point 52 °F
Altimeter
30.06 inHg
Observed at
NUW, 10 nm away

Docket · 3

The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 8, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.7 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.