Accident Details
On March 27, 2009, about 1715 mountain standard time, a Cessna 182Q, registration N97467, struck a fence and nosed over after exiting the runway during landing at Sedona Airport, Sedona, Arizona. The airplane, registered to Linear Management Corporation, sustained substantial damage. The airline transport pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight was a cross-country positioning flight under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Cable Airport, Upland, California, about 1430 Pacific daylight time.
Pilot's Account
According to interviews conducted by the NTSB Investigator-In-Charge (IIC) and an FAA inspector, the pilot entered the downwind for runway 21 at Sedona with flaps selected to 10 degrees. Distracted by nearby hilly terrain and thermal turbulence, he did not visually confirm the flap position. On final, he selected 30 degrees of flaps but again did not visually check due to turbulence. He assumed the flaps were at 30 degrees and did not suspect any anomaly.
During the final approach, the pilot realized he was too high, fast, and long, and initiated a go-around. He repositioned the flaps to 20 degrees but did not feel the expected sinking sensation associated with partial flap retraction. Suspicious of a flap malfunction, he left the flaps at their current setting for the second approach, flown as a no-flap landing with an airspeed of 70-75 knots. He flared near midfield and touched down at the 4,000-foot point of the 5,183-foot runway.
Attempting to stop, the pilot applied maximum braking. The left brake pedal rotated forward to its fully applied position with almost no resistance, providing no braking action on the left wheel. The pilot attempted to stop using only the right brake but was unable to prevent the airplane from exiting the runway end. After departing the runway, the airplane impacted a perimeter fence and nosed over onto its back.
Examination and Findings
An on-scene inspection revealed the flaps were set to 10 degrees. The pilot later stated that when the FAA inspected the airplane, they would find the flap handle at 10 degrees, and he believed the flaps were likely at that position during the second approach. In further interviews, he stated that the flaps probably functioned properly during both approaches but that turbulence may have masked the expected sensations. A post-accident function test performed by the airplane's owner showed normal flap operation in all selector switch positions. The pilot reported performing a preflight systems check, which found no anomalies.
An FAA inspector examined the left brake system and determined that the left pedal master cylinder was low on fluid. Very little braking or pedal resistance was present when the brake pedal was pushed toward its applied position. The inspector concluded there was likely very little, if any, left wheel braking action during the pilot's landing attempt.