Cessna 182 N1881X

Summary

On 11 September 1999 at about 05:22 local time, a Cessna 182 registered N1881X, operated by Kenneth W. Simonis, was involved in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska, 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

11 September 1999 at 05:22

Classification

Accident

Location

Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Merrill Field (MRI)

Coordinates

61.2202, -149.8497

Aircraft

Cessna 182

Registration

N1881X

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Kenneth W. Simonis

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Ferry

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Farewell → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

ANC99LA146

Nobody was injured.

The pilot/mechanic's improper damage repair, and intentional operation (ferry) of the airplane with known deficiencies. Factors in the accident were the installation of the improper nose gear assembly, and the inadequate surveillance and issuance of a special flight permit by the FAA.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot, who was also a mechanic with an inspection authorization, was landing the airplane from a ferry flight after the airplane had been involved in a previous accident (see ANC99LA155). The pilot/mechanic said that immediately after touchdown, the nose wheel began to vibrate. The nose gear assembly collapsed, and the engine firewall to which the temporary nose gear assembly had been attached, sustained substantial damage. Inspection by an FAA airworthiness inspector revealed that a nose landing gear assembly from an earlier model Cessna 182 had been installed without a shimmy damper, and without provision for connection to the steering bungees. A doubler had been installed on the previously damaged firewall to provide mounting structure for the nose gear assembly. A review of photographs taken at the first accident site revealed that substantial damage to the left wing, left horizontal stabilizer and left elevator (including missing the outboard 4 inches of elevator, and the left elevator tip counterweight), tail cone and empennage, and lower engine cowling existed prior to the ferry flight. The FAA issued a ferry permit for the airplane but did not inspect the airplane, nor verify the extent of damage which existed prior to the flight occurring. The airplane had received its last annual inspection on July 18, 1997, 26 months before the first accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.