Cessna 182 N2571G

Summary

On 27 September 2018 at about 03:07 local time, a Cessna 182 registered N2571G was involved in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 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

27 September 2018 at 03:07

Classification

Accident

Location

Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Lake Hood (LHD)

Coordinates

61.2353, -149.9431

Aircraft

Cessna 182

Registration

N2571G

Category

Airplane

Year built

1959

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Big Lake → Anchorage

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC18LA072

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to avoid wake turbulence from a crossing heavy airplane.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While the accident airplane was inbound for landing, the pilot received traffic and wake turbulence advisories from air traffic control for a crossing heavy Boeing C-17 on approach. The pilot acknowledged that he had the C-17 in sight and elected to execute a 360° turn. After completing the turn, he descended the airplane below the altitude of the C-17, ultimately crossing 3.66 miles behind and about 500 ft below the C-17's flightpath. Shortly after passing behind the C-17, the pilot reported entering an area of "severe turbulence," which he described as "one violent instantaneous motion." The airplane continued for a landing. The pilot reported that, during a postflight inspection of the airplane, he discovered that both wings and the horizontal stabilizer exhibited signs of buckling. Further, the left wing had shifted aft, which reduced the gap between the trailing edge of the flap and the fuselage by 3/8 of an inch. A crack in the left wing spar was discovered during a subsequent, detailed postaccident examination. Federal Aviation Administration guidance indicates that pilots should fly at or above the preceding aircraft's flightpath, altering course as necessary, to avoid the area behind and below the generating aircraft.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.