Cessna 182P N21213

Summary

On 4 December 2004 at about 02:10 local time, a Cessna 182P registered N21213, operated by Aero Flight Training, was involved in an accident near Belle Fourche, South Dakota, United States. 4 people were on board and 3 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 December 2004 at 02:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Belle Fourche, South Dakota, United States

Nearest airport

Belle Fourche Municipal Airpor (EFC)

Coordinates

44.7342, -103.8619

Aircraft

Cessna 182P

Registration

N21213

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Aero Flight Training

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Denver → Belle Fourche

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

CHI05CA040

3 people had minor injuries.

The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions and his failure to maintain directional control. Contributing factors were the gusting crosswind, the pilot's lack of night flying of experience, the inoperative instrument lights, and the night conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane bounced and then veered off the eastern edge of the runway during landing following a visual approach to the airport. The airplane then impacted terrain and a cement culvert. Night visual meteorological conditions with a gusting crosswind prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot stated that the landing light ceased to operate during the approach, and he could not get the instrument panel lights to operate. The flashlight that a passenger used ceased to operate after the reported instrument panel light(s) ceased to operate. The pilot stated that after the airplane touched down, he rolled the yoke level and pulled back. A gust of wind "quickly" moved the airplane off the runway. Inspection of the airplane revealed the flaps were extended 30 degrees, and the rear passenger seats were not equipped with shoulder harnesses. Postaccident operation of the landing/instrument panel light(s), for about 30 seconds, noted that none of the instrument panel light(s) illuminated, the overhead light(s) illuminated, and the landing light illuminated. No circuit breakers tripped during this operation. The pilot had a total flight time of 69 hours, of which 22 hours were in the accident airplane. He did not have any night flying time in the accident airplane. The pilot's airman medical certificate had the following limitation: "not valid for night flight or by color signal control."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.