Cessna 182 N291CP

Summary

On 13 July 2018 at about 22:00 local time, a Cessna 182 registered N291CP, operated by Civil Air Patrol, was involved in an accident near Geneseo, New York, United States. 3 people were on board and one was seriously injured, 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

13 July 2018 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Geneseo, New York, United States

Nearest airport

Geneseo Airport (D52)

Coordinates

42.7986, -77.8425

Aircraft

Cessna 182

Registration

N291CP

Category

Airplane

Year built

2007

Engines

1

Operator

Civil Air Patrol

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Geneseo → Geneseo

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA18LA191

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to properly set the elevator trim before takeoff, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during takeoff and a subsequent aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to follow the Before Takeoff—Run Up checklist.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot reported that, before the accident flight, he repositioned the airplane uneventfully from an airport about 20 miles away. Before takeoff on the accident flight, the pilot performed an engine run-up and verified that all flight controls were free and correct. The pilot then initiated a soft-field takeoff procedure on a bumpy, grass runway. The airplane became airborne in ground effect about 45 knots, and it then began to climb out of ground effect at 60 knots. At that time, the airplane’s nose pitched up abruptly, and the pilot pushed the yoke forward as hard as he could while engaging nose-down electric elevator trim; however, the airplane continued to climb at an excessive angle of attack and subsequently stalled. The airplane then rolled left, descended to the ground, and came to rest inverted. Neither passenger could recall whether the pilot conducted any type of control check or engine run-up before takeoff. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The elevator trim tab was found in a midrange, nose-down position, consistent with the pilot’s statement that he was trimming nose down in an attempt to recover from the loss of control on takeoff. The Before Takeoff – Run-Up checklist stated that the elevator should be trimmed to 20° nose down for takeoff. Given the airplane pitched up abruptly as it began to climb out of ground effect, it is likely that the pilot landed after the previous flight with a nose-up elevator trim setting and that he did not properly reset the elevator trim before takeoff for the accident flight in accordance with the Before Takeoff—Run-Up  checklist, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during takeoff and the subsequent aerodynamic stall.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.