No fatalities

20 Mar 2018: CESSNA 182 E — Rapid City, SD

Rapid City, SD, United States

On 20 Mar 2018, a CESSNA 182 E was involved in an aviation accident near Rapid City, SD. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for takeoff, which resulted in a loss of control and runway excursion. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During departure from a short snow-covered airstrip, the nose wheel lifted off but then lowered after encountering deeper snow. The pilot aborted the takeoff, the airplane left the airstrip, hit terrain, spun, and stopped in a ditch. Substantial damage occurred to the elevator and wings.

Incident Summary

A pilot reported an aborted takeoff from a short airstrip covered with snow. The event occurred during the departure roll, after the airplane reached a designated decision point.

Sequence of Events

According to the pilot's account, the nose wheel lifted off the ground upon arriving at the go/no-go decision point. After traveling approximately 30 feet further, the airplane encountered a patch of deeper snow. This caused the nose landing gear to lower back to the ground. In response, the pilot reduced throttle and aborted the takeoff.

The airplane then exited the left side of the airstrip. As it left the runway, the right wing contacted terrain. The airplane subsequently spun 180 degrees and came to rest in a ditch.

Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the elevator and both wings.

Pilot Report

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

Causes

PilotDirectional control — Not attained/maintained

Other contributing factors

Effect on operation