Incident Overview
On August 9, 2018, at approximately 1312 eastern daylight time, a Cessna R182, registration N1693R, sustained substantial damage when its main landing gear collapsed during the landing roll at Florence Regional Airport (FLO), Florence, South Carolina. The private pilot was not injured. The airplane was owned and operated by a flying club under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight that originated about 20 minutes earlier from a private airstrip near Andrews, South Carolina.
Preflight and Departure
The pilot performed a preflight inspection using a copy of the checklist from the airplane's Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH). After the inspection, he attempted to start the engine but could not due to a dead battery. A portable electrical power supply was required to start the engine. After starting, all gauges showed normal indications, including the alternator. The ammeter indicated zero or a "hair to the right of zero" after engine start. The pilot did not have a mechanic troubleshoot the dead battery before departure.
Inflight Events
About 10 minutes into the flight, while at 2,500 feet mean sea level and in communication with Florence Approach Control, the pilot noted the fuel gauges indicating zero and the ammeter showing a discharge (3/16 to the left of zero). He did not consult or perform any emergency procedures from the POH for electrical system fault. He continued to FLO, lowered the landing gear by selecting the gear lever to the down position, and was cleared to land. Although he visually observed the nose landing gear extended, the single indicator light on the instrument panel did not show that all landing gear were down and locked. He raised and lowered the gear selector again, but the light remained off. He performed a flyby of the tower and was advised that the landing gear appeared down. He entered the downwind leg for runway 27, which he extended due to an inbound airplane. At that time, the tower controller asked his intentions, but he could not reply because all electrical power was lost.
Landing and Aftermath
The pilot turned onto base and final legs for runway 27, performing a shallow approach and touching down on the main landing gear first. During the landing roll, about 500 to 1,000 feet down the runway, the main landing gear collapsed. The airplane veered left, and the left wing and horizontal stabilizer contacted the runway. The airplane came to rest in the grass off the left side of the runway near the intersection of runways 09/27 and 01/19.
Post-Incident Examination
Personnel involved in recovery inspected the cockpit before recovery; the landing gear selector was in the down position and the emergency extension handle was not extended. The airplane was raised, and the right main landing gear was extended and locked by hand, while the left main landing gear was hand-pumped down and locked. Prior to lowering, the airplane's battery was turned on and showed insufficient voltage to power the electrical system. The airplane was then towed to the ramp.
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane after recovery. The battery voltage was 11V. After charging, with the battery connected, the voltage indicated 24.11V. With the master switch on, the gear down and lock light illuminated. The landing gear system was exercised electrically by cycling the gear up, down, and up again; the aural horn functioned normally, and the amber gear up light illuminated when up. Using the emergency procedures checklist (POH section 3, paragraph 3.8), the master switch was turned off to simulate electrical failure. The gear handle was placed down, the landing gear fell by gravity and were hand-pumped down and locked. The master switch was then turned on, and the gear down light verified illuminated. No determination was made as to the reason for the electrical failure.
According to the POH, procedures for ammeter discharge include: (1) Alternator OFF, (2) Nonessential Radio/Electrical Equipment OFF, (3) Flight TERMINATE as soon as practical.