What happened
On January 25, 1986, a Cessna 182 was operating at Lake Havasu City Airport in Arizona under visual meteorological conditions (VMC). During the landing phase on runway 5, the aircraft's nose wheel collapsed. This structural failure resulted in the aircraft colliding with the runway surface.
At the time of the incident, the airport's UNICOM reported winds from 270 degrees at 17 knots with gusts. The demonstrated crosswind component for the Cessna 182 is 15 knots, indicating that the wind conditions exceeded the aircraft's certified limits for safe operation.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical failure of the nose landing gear and the environmental conditions at the time of the accident. The collapse of the nose wheel was identified as the primary mechanical event leading to the collision with the runway.
Findings
Contributing factors included the wind conditions exceeding the aircraft's demonstrated crosswind capability. The 17-knot gusting winds played a significant role in the loss of control or structural integrity that led to the nose gear collapse.