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Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

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NTSB Report

May 7, 2018 · Cessna 182 E · N3292Y

Broomfield, CO

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
May 7, 2018
Injury Outcomes
1 injury (1 minor injury)
Location
Broomfield, CO
Aircraft
Cessna 182 E (1962)
Tail Number
N3292Y
Injuries
Minor
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
CEN18LA162

The pilot had conducted a personal flight to a grass airstrip, where he completed two uneventful full-stop landings before returning to the departure airport for a final landing. The pilot reported that on the final landing the airplane initially touched down on the main landing gear, but when the nose gear contacted the runway, the airplane immediately swerved right and nosed over in the grass beside the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and right wing strut. A witness reported seeing the airplane on final approach with its nose wheel rotated about 75° from its normal alignment. The upper link arm of the nose landing gear torque link assembly had fractured near its upper end, which allowed the nose wheel to rotate freely on the landing gear strut. A laboratory examination revealed evidence of a downward bending overstress failure. Although the examination also identified an isolated area of preexisting fatigue on the right flange and a closed crack on the left flange, they did not contribute to the bending overstress failure of the upper torque link. Based on the available evidence, the upper link arm fractured earlier in the flight, and the pilot would have been unaware of the damage to the nose gear before the final landing.

NTSB Probable Cause

The overstress fracture of the upper link of the nose landing gear torque link assembly, which resulted in the pilot’s inability to maintain directional control during landing.

Full Narrative

On May 7, 2018, about 1139 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 182E airplane, N3292Y, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Broomfield, Colorado. The commercial pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot departed and flew to his private grass airstrip, where he made two uneventful full-stop landings before returning to the departure airport. The pilot reported that he conducted a normal approach to runway 30L, and that the airplane initially touched down on the main landing gear, but when the nose landing gear contacted the runway, the airplane immediately swerved right and nosed over in the grass beside the runway. A witness reported seeing the airplane on final approach to runway 30L with its nose wheel rotated about 75° from its normal alignment. The airplane initially touched down on its main landing gear; however, when the nose wheel contacted the runway, it did not realign with the runway heading; the airplane immediately swerved to the right. The nose landing gear separated from the airplane about 100 yards into the right swerve. The airplane subsequently departed the right runway edge and nosed over. An onsite examination revealed that the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and right wing strut were substantially damaged. The nose landing gear torque link assembly had fractured, which allowed the nose wheel to rotate freely on the landing gear strut. The fractured scissor assembly and associated hardware were retained for additional examination at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Materials Laboratory in Washington D.C. The NTSB laboratory examination of the torque link assembly revealed a fracture of the upper link arm near its upper end. The fracture exhibited features consistent with a downward bending overstress failure. The examination also identified an isolated area of preexisting fatigue on the right flange and a closed crack on the left flange, neither of which contributed to the bending overstress failure of the upper torque link.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time11:39 MDT
Nearest AirportRocky Mountain Metropolitan (0nm)
Runway30L
Runway Length7002 ft
Runway Width75 ft
Flight Plan FiledNone
Flight Plan ActivatedNo
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftCessna 182 E
Tail NumberN3292Y
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsContinental · O-470-R · Reciprocating · 230
Seats4

People & Injuries

Injury Summary1 injury (1 minor injury)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor1
Uninjured0
Total1
Crew 1Age 86 · Third Class · Minor

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind170° @ 4 kt
Visibility30 sm
CeilingBroken clouds 20000 ft
Temperature / Dew Point64 F / 41 C
Altimeter30.17 inHg
Observation Time17:45
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data