Cessna 182Q N97046

Summary

On 7 July 1992 at about 18:15 local time, a Cessna 182Q registered N97046, operated by Cogswell Agency, was involved in an accident near Melstone, Montana, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 July 1992 at 18:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Melstone, Montana, United States

Coordinates

46.5695, -107.9303

Aircraft

Cessna 182Q

Registration

N97046

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Cogswell Agency

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Billings → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA92LA146

Nobody was injured.

INADEQUATE IN FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION. FACTORS TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: UNSUITABLE TERRAIN WAS SELECTED, ROUGH/UNEVEN TERRAIN AND A GO AROUND WAS NOT PERFORMED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

AT THE END OF A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS INTENDING TO LAND ON A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP THAT HE HAD NOT BEEN INTO BEFORE. THE DAY BEFORE THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT HAD CONTACTED THE OWNER FOR DIRECTIONS AND THE CONDITION OF THE STRIP. WHEN THE FLIGHT ARRIVED, THE PILOT FOUND AN AREA THAT LOOKED LIKE WHAT THE OWNER HAD DESCRIBED. THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE FIELD LOOKED WET, SO A SOFT FIELD LANDING WAS INITIATED. WHILE ON SHORT FINAL, THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE SURFACE WAS VERY ROUGH. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN AND WAS ALMOST STOPPED WHEN THE NOSE WHEEL BOUNCED ON A MOUND OF DIRT. WHEN THE NOSE WHEEL CONTACTED THE SURFACE, IT SUNK INTO THE SOFT SOIL AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. LATER, THE PILOT FOUND OUT THAT THE AREA WHERE HE HAD LANDED WAS, IN FACT, NOT THE AIRSTRIP, BUT A CONSTRUCTION SITE FOR A RAILROAD OPERATION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.