Cessna 182 N9169G

Summary

On 24 June 2020 at about 02:41 local time, a Cessna 182 registered N9169G was involved in an accident near Imnaha, Oregon, United States. 4 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

24 June 2020 at 02:41

Classification

Accident

Location

Imnaha, Oregon, United States

Nearest airport

Memaloose Usfs (25U)

Coordinates

45.4319, -116.6928

Aircraft

Cessna 182

Registration

N9169G

Category

Airplane

Year built

1971

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Imnaha → Lewiston

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

WPR20LA194

2 people were seriously injured.

The pilot’s excessively high pitch attitude and failure to maintain adequate airspeed during takeoff, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s fatigue and his incomplete actions to abort the takeoff.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and three passengers were making an intermediate stopover at a mountain airstrip to camp with his family. They overflew the destination airport, and the pilot did not observe any concerns, but after they landed at the airport, the airplane became lodged in soft dirt. After several hours, they freed the airplane and decided to return to the airport they had departed from that morning. The pilot stated he felt the airplane begin to lift off the ground early during takeoff, so he maintained a nose low attitude to build up airspeed before starting a climb. When the airplane reached midfield, the pilot suddenly felt the airplane slow down and assumed the landing gear had contacted the runway. He wanted to abort the takeoff, but instead decided to fly the airplane as it had suddenly started to climb. Nearing the end of the runway he shoved the yoke forward after he heard the stall warning horn, but the airplane rolled to the right and impacted the ground. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane or engine that could have precluded normal operation. Contrary to the pilot’s recollection of events, flight data showed the airplane pitch increased excessively during the takeoff and the initial climb, and engine power decreased to about idle power as the airplane rotated, continued to climb, and airspeed decreased below stall speed. The stall warning horn likely engaged about the time the airplane’s critical angle of attack was exceeded, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent impact with terrain. Performance computations for the accident flight were consistent with the pilot’s, which suggested the airplane had sufficient takeoff distance to depart the runway, despite a high-density altitude. Weight and balance computations showed that the airplane was not over gross weight or outside of center of gravity limitations but that it was in a state of forward center of gravity at the time of the accident. The forward center of gravity would have resulted in a nose-heavy condition that required additional back pressure to maintain control during takeoff. The investigation did not find any evidence to suggest the airplane “slowed” during takeoff as the pilot suggested, but a wet patch on the runway or natural obstacles such as small rocks could have been present and adversely affected the takeoff roll. The accident pilot was likely fatigued after working for several hours to free the airplane from being lodged in soft dirt. This factor, coupled with stress and the pilot’s reported self-induced pressure to depart the airport, may have impaired the pilot’s judgment and decision making, causing him to overlook some of the risks associated with this departure. The fatigue likely also affected his ability to properly respond during the takeoff attempt.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.