Casualties unknown

Cessna 182 Accident at Kankaime Sur

EC

On December 5, 2011, a CESSNA 182 operated by operadora. Mantenía vigente además la habilitación en equipo Piper PA 32 was involved in an aviation accident near EC. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The presence of a soft area in the runway, resulting from the accumulation of rainwater due to the lack of leveling in the central part of the runway, which could not be evaluated by the pilot during the pre-landing reconnaissance. This summary draws on records from the Ecuadorian Civil Aviation Directorate (DGAC Ecuador); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Ecuadorian Civil Aviation Directorate (DGAC Ecuador)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-10Data APIEditorial standards

On December 5, 2011, a Cessna 182 suffered nose gear failure after landing at Kankaime Sur. The aircraft dragged to a stop after the nose gear sank into a soft, waterlogged area of the runway. All occupants were uninjured.

Flight Details and Accident Sequence On December 5, 2011, a Cessna 182 was operating a flight from Macas to Taisha and Kankaime Sur. The aircraft departed Macas at 21:20 UTC (16:20 local time) and arrived at Taisha without incident. After picking up two passengers, the pilot continued to Kankaime Sur. The aircraft landed on runway 05, with the main wheels touching down 76 meters from the threshold. After taxiing 31 meters, the nose gear sank into a soft area of the runway, causing the gear to bend backward and fracture. The aircraft continued on its main gear for 40 meters before settling on its nose and dragging for another 70 meters until it stopped. All occupants were uninjured. ## Aircraft and Maintenance The Cessna 182 had a total of 5,517 flight hours. The aircraft was powered by a Teledyne Continental Motors O-470-R engine and equipped with a Hartzell PHC-G3YF-1R/F7 propeller. Maintenance records showed discrepancies in the completion of inspection checklists and multiple errors in maintenance logs, particularly regarding Airworthiness Directives. The last 50-hour inspection was performed on November 25, 2011. ## Environmental and Runway Conditions The runway at Kankaime Sur is 450 by 20 meters with a dirt surface. Rainfall the previous night and morning left the runway wet, with water and mud present in the center. The central portion of the runway had a depression that accumulated water, causing the ground to lose firmness. This soft area was not visible to the pilot during the pre-landing assessment. ## Probable Cause The accident was caused by the presence of a soft area in the runway, resulting from the accumulation of rainwater due to the lack of leveling in the central part of the runway. This condition could not be evaluated by the pilot during the pre-landing reconnaissance.