Cessna 182 N3115R

Summary

On 27 August 2018 at about 16:50 local time, a Cessna 182 registered N3115R, operated by Go Skydive Boston, was involved in an accident near Hanson, Massachusetts, 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

27 August 2018 at 16:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Hanson, Massachusetts, United States

Nearest airport

Cranland (28M)

Coordinates

42.0222, -70.8372

Aircraft

Cessna 182

Registration

N3115R

Category

Airplane

Year built

1968

Engines

1

Operator

Go Skydive Boston

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Skydiving

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hanson → Hanson

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA18TA236

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to attain the proper touchdown point, which resulted in a runway overrun. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to land with a quartering tailwind.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot reported that during the airplane's initial climb for the local skydiving flight, the radio stopped working. He continued climbing to 7,500 ft to allow skydivers to depart the airplane, noted that the engine was running roughly at that time, then circled down over the airport. The pilot reported that his approach was "a little faster and higher than normal" and that he landed longer than usual but chose not to execute a go-around because of the rough-running engine. Surveillance video and witnesses indicated that the airplane touched down near the midpoint of the 1,760-ft-long runway with a quartering tailwind. The airplane's tires left over 500 ft of skid marks before the airplane overran the departure end of the runway, encountered a ditch, nosed over, and came to rest inverted 183 ft beyond the departure end of the runway. Postaccident testing of the brakes showed that they were operational and did not reveal evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. In addition, postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal engine operation, except that the alternator belt was found off of its pulleys. However, the airplane's battery still indicated a normal voltage, and the airplane's flaps were found extended, indicating that the airplane's electrical system was still functional throughout the landing attempt. Despite the condition of the alternator belt, the airplane's engine never ceased producing power. The pilot should have been able to perform a normal landing but instead performed a faster and higher approach than normal and failed to attain the proper touchdown point.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.