PVT PLT LOST CTL OF AN SMA SEL DURING LNDG RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE ACFT LNDG GEAR; PROP AND FUSELAGE.

Date: 1994-08 · Aircraft: Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG

Anomalies: inflight-event-encounter-loss-of-aircraft-control|inflight-event-encounter-weather-turbulence|other-unspecified|other-runway-or-taxiway-excursion

Synopsis

PVT PLT LOST CTL OF AN SMA SEL DURING LNDG RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE ACFT LNDG GEAR; PROP AND FUSELAGE.

Narrative

I WAS MAKING AN INST APCH INTO NANTUCKET ARPT. THERE WERE TSTMS IN THE AREA BUT RELYING ON ATC AND MY STORMSCOPE I WAS ABLE TO KEEP WHAT I FELT WAS SATISFACTORY DISTANCE BTWN MY ACFT AND ANY CELLS. IN FACT; I HAD BEEN ENCOURAGED BY THE WX BRIEFER TO LEAVE FROM BEDFORD; MA; SOONER; RATHER THAN LATER; DUE TO LARGE HOLES BTWN AREAS OF TSTMS AND THE ABILITY (AND; PRESUMABLY; WILLINGNESS) OF ATC TO RTE ME THROUGH THE HOLES. THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER ACFT ALSO LNDG IN NANTUCKET DURING THE SAME TIME FRAME THAT I WAS. BECAUSE MY SKYLANE WAS ONE OF THE SLOWER ACFT; I WAS ONE OF THE LAST IN MY GROUP TO BE VECTORED TO INTERCEPT THE ILS. I FLEW IN AND OUT OF RAIN AND SOME TURB BUT NOTHING THAT PREVENTED ME FROM CTLING THE ACFT. WHEN I ULTIMATELY DID INTERCEPT THE FINAL APCH COURSE THE CONDITIONS WERE QUITE MODERATE WITH LITTLE OR NO RAIN; WIND OFF THE R NOSE OF THE ACFT THAT WAS NOT TERRIBLY STRONG; AND WHAT APPEARED TO BE 1 OR 2 MI VISIBILITY. THE LOWER I GOT; THE STRONGER AND MORE VARIABLE THE WINDS BECAME. I PUT MORE CORRECTION INTO MY HDG AND WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN MY POS ON THE GS WITHOUT ANY REAL PROB. I BROKE OUT BTWN 400 FT AND 450 FT (MINIMUM IS 250 FT) AND I HAD THE RWY IN FRONT OF ME. IT WAS NOT RAINING FAIRLY HEAVILY AND THERE WAS A XWIND. GIVEN CONDITIONS THAT I FELT WERE CHALLENGING BUT NOT SEVERE; AND MY POS RELATIVE TO THE RWY; I MADE THE DECISION TO LAND. AS I BROUGHT THE ACFT OVER THE RWY THRESHOLD CUT BACK ON PWR AND HELD ABOUT 10 FT OVER THE RWY TO BLEED OFF SOME AIRSPD. SUDDENLY; WITH NO WARNING (SUCH AS A STALL WARNING BUZZER) THE ACFT DROPPED STRAIGHT DOWN ONTO THE RWY WITH TREMENDOUS FORCE. THE ACFT BOUNCED 5 TIMES; EACH TIME TRYING TO POINT UP INTO THE WIND MORE AND MORE. I BEGAN TO SKID SIDEWAYS ON THE RWY. THE WIND PUSHED ME OFF THE L SIDE OF THE RWY AND I KNOCKED DOWN ONE OF THE RWY LIGHTS BEFORE SLOWING DOWN AND BRINGING THE ACFT BACK ONTO THE RWY. I TAXIED OFF THE ACTIVE AND SHUT DOWN IN FRONT OF OPS. THE DAMAGE WHICH HAS SO FAR BEEN INDENTED INCLUDES A PROP-STRIKE AND STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE FIREWALL. THERE IS SOME WRINKLED SHEET METAL JUST AFT OF THE FIREWALL ON THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT. IN RETROSPECT; I OFFER THE FOLLOWING THOUGHTS ON THE CHAIN OF EVENTS LEADING UP TO THIS INCIDENT. I WILL NEVER AGAIN ACCEPT A WX BRIEFER'S COMMENT THAT 'ATC WILL HELP GUIDE YOU THROUGH THE HOLES IN THE TSTMS.' ATC RADAR; AT LEAST IN THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY; IS NOT EFFECTIVE IN SHOWING ENOUGH OF THE WX TO BE THAT HELPFUL. CTLRS GET VERY BUSY WHEN THERE IS WX MOVING THROUGH AN AREA AND IT IS UNLIKELY THAT THEY WILL HAVE THE TIME NECESSARY TO GIVE EVERY ACFT THAT KIND OF ATTN. ALSO; WHILE I DO HAVE A STORMSCOPE; I WOULD LEAVE MORE ROOM BTWN MYSELF AND CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY THAN I PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT NECESSARY. I BELIEVE I ENCOUNTERED WIND SHEAR GIVEN THE ABRUPT AND SEVERE DROPPING OF MY ACFT. I THINK IT IS ONLY REASONABLE TO CONCLUDE THAT THIS WAS THE RESULT OF TSTM ACTIVITY IN THE AREA EVEN THOUGH THE CELLS WERE MI AWAY. IF I COULD DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN; I WOULD HAVE REJECTED THE WX BRIEFER'S SUGGESTIONS. I WOULD ALSO HAVE REJECTED THE IDEA OF LNDG IN NANTUCKET KNOWING THAT TSTMS IN THE GENERAL AREA COULD PRODUCE SEVERE EFFECTS WITHIN A WIDE PERIMETER OF THE TSTM CELL. AS A FINAL POINT; I WOULD SUGGEST THAT MY DESIRE TO GET BACK TO NANTUCKET WAS; IN PART; A CLASSIC CASE OF 'GET HOMEITIS.' MY WIFE AND I HAD SEVERAL COUPLES VISITING US FOR THE WKEND AND I HAD FLOWN UP TO BEDFORD THAT MORNING FOR SOME IMPORTANT MEETINGS IN MY OFFICE. I WANTED TO GET BACK BEFORE THE END OF THE DAY IN ORDER NOT TO LEAVE MY WIFE ALONE TO DEAL WITH ALL OUR GUESTS. I PUT UNNECESSARY AND IRRELEVANT PRESSURE ON MYSELF. AND I LEARNED A LESSON THE HARD WAY!

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.