What happened
On December 18, 2002, a CESSNA F-182Q, registration EC-DEX, was performing a flight instruction mission from Bilbao to San Sebastián. The flight involved an instructor and a student pilot. Upon landing on runway 04, the student pilot executed the touchdown normally; however, during the subsequent landing roll, the aircraft began a sharp left turn.
The aircraft veered off the runway near the second taxiway, crossed a grass island, and entered the apron area. During the excursion, the aircraft struck runway signage and edge lights, causing the nose gear to collapse and resulting in damage to the propeller, engine, and lower cowling. The aircraft slid across the apron before coming to a stop supported by the main landing gear and the engine compartment. Both occupants were uninjured and evacuated the aircraft on their own.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the steering mechanism of the nose gear and the sequence of pilot inputs. Inspections of the CESSNA F-182Q revealed no mechanical failures in the nose wheel steering system, and there was no prior history of such malfunctions.
Witnesses, including airport firefighters and ground personnel, observed the aircraft exiting the runway between the second and third taxiways at a high rate of speed. The instructor pilot reported that once the nose wheel was on the ground, the aircraft began to veer left, at which point they attempted to correct the heading using the rudder pedals but found the aircraft unresponsive to steering inputs.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the loss of directional control resulting from an attempt to exit the runway via the second taxiway at an excessive speed.
- The student pilot attempted the turn before the aircraft had decelerated sufficiently for the maneuver to be safe.
- By the time the instructor pilot took control of the aircraft, the high speed and established turn trajectory rendered the aircraft uncontrollable.