N5JBCessna TR182 · 1979

On June 30, 2019, about 1125 mountain daylight time, a Cessna TR182 airplane, N5JB, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Lincoln, Montana. The pilot received minor injuries, and the pilot-rated passenger was uninjured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot reported that, during the landing approach, the wind was "a little gusty" and he used 40° of flaps and a final approach speed of 65 knots. As he started the landing flare, he experienced an unexpected wind gust, and applied power for a go-around, but the engine did not respond, and he elected to land on the remaining runway. The airplane bounced, landed hard, and the nose landing gear separated. The airplane veered to the left and nosed over when it departed the runway and came to rest inverted on grass.

An examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector did not reveal any pre-impact anomalies or mechanical failures. The airplane came to rest about 3,100 ft beyond the runway 22 threshold, facing opposite the landing direction. The runway displayed impact signatures consistent with a nose landing gear failure and subsequent propeller strikes.

Photos provided by the FAA indicated that the nose landing gear wheel and tire were separated from the strut, which was deformed aft. The outboard sections of all three propeller blades were bent/curled aft, with chordwise scoring at their outboard ends. The cabin was essentially intact, but the underfloor structure, including the region of the main landing gear attach points, was deformed. The aft fuselage sustained significant crush and twist damage. The vertical stabilizer and rudder were crushed and bent, primarily in the down direction.

All flight control surfaces remained attached to their primary aerodynamic structures. Both wings sustained wrinkling damage. Both flaps were found fully extended, and the flap selector handle and position indicator also were found in the fully extended position. The pitch trim was found near the full airplane-nose-down position.

The airplane was equipped with electrically controlled wing flaps that could be actuated by positioning the cockpit flap switch to the desired flap setting. Normal landing flap setting was 40°, but lesser extensions (30°, 20°, or even less) were recommended in gusty conditions to improve handling characteristics. An examination of the flaps by a recovery technician revealed that the setting for the right and left flaps were respectively 34° and 35°.

The pilot's operating handbook for the accident airplane states in part:

Balked Landing

1. Power -- 31 INCHES Hg and 2400 RPM.

2. Wing Flaps -- RETRACT to 20°.

3. Climb Speed -- 70 KIAS until all obstacles are cleared.

4. Wing Flaps -- RETRACT slowly after reaching 75 KIAS.

5. Cowl Flaps -- OPEN.

6. Manifold Pressure -- REDUCE TO 25 INCHES Hg.

7. Carburetor Heat -- COLD.

8. Power -- READJUST as desired.

In a balked landing (go-around) climb, the wing flap setting should be reduced to 20° immediately after full power is applied. After all obstacles are cleared and a safe altitude and airspeed are obtained, the wing flaps should be retracted.

The accident airport was located at an elevation of 4,603 ft above mean sea level and was not equipped with weather reporting equipment. First responders, including airport operations personnel, reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was gusty, generally out of the east-northeast, with steady-state speeds of 5 to 7 knots, and gusts of 15 to 25 knots.

The wreckage was recovered and transported to a salvage facility, but then sold to a third party before the airframe and engine could be examined.