Summary
On October 17, 2010, a Cessna 180 (N2576K) was involved in an accident near Summner, ME. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury, with 1 person uninjured out of 2 aboard. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while on final approach resulting in an aerodynamic stall and a subsequent hard landing.
The pilot stated that, while he was on final approach at his destination airport, he caught a downdraft on short final and was unable to arrest the descent rate, even with full power. A witness at the airport advised the Safety Board however, that the wind at the airport at the time of the accident was 8-10 knots. The nearest weather reporting station also reported that the winds were from 360 degrees true at 6 knots. Another witness also advised the Safety Board that the pilot of the accident airplane would usually approach at a slow approach speed for landing.
This accident is documented in NTSB report ERA11CA024. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N2576K.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while on final approach resulting in an aerodynamic stall and a subsequent hard landing.
Aircraft Information
Analysis
The pilot stated that, while he was on final approach at his destination airport, he caught a downdraft on short final and was unable to arrest the descent rate, even with full power. A witness at the airport advised the Safety Board however, that the wind at the airport at the time of the accident was 8-10 knots. The nearest weather reporting station also reported that the winds were from 360 degrees true at 6 knots. Another witness also advised the Safety Board that the pilot of the accident airplane would usually approach at a slow approach speed for landing. Review of a video recording that was made at the airport on the day of the accident also confirmed that there was little or no wind present during the accident, and that the airplane appeared to approach the runway at a slower airspeed than similar airplanes. Further review of the video also revealed, that while on short final, the airplane had developed a high sink rate, and had began to rapidly roll to the right just prior to impact with the turf runway. No sound of an increase of engine power was recorded until just prior to ground contact. During an interview, the pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector revealed that during the accident, the airplane had incurred substantial structural damage to the landing gear assembly bulkhead.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA11CA024