- Location: Big Creek, Idaho
- Accident Number: WPR24FA215
- Date & Time: June 28, 2024, 17:30 Local
- Registration: N6210A
- Aircraft: Cessna 182
- Aircraft Damage: Substantial
- Defining Event: Collision during takeoff/land
- Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious
- Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/194573/pdf
https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194573
On June 28, 2024, about 1730 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 182 airplane, N6210A, was
substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Big Creek, Idaho. The pilot
was fatally injured, and the pilot-rated passenger was seriously injured. The airplane was
operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
After reviewing a standard operating procedures (SOP) guide for the airport, which strongly
recommended an airport checkout, the pilot and the pilot-rated passenger entered the traffic
pattern to land at the back country turf landing strip in the slightly over-gross-weight airplane
with a slight tailwind. While on the downwind leg, the pilot used a higher-than-recommended
traffic pattern altitude and turned to the base leg earlier than published recommendations. The
pilot then maneuvered to make the runway while the concerned pilot-rated passenger asked
him if he was going to go around.
The pilot continued the approach and, after flying over most of the runway, initiated a go-around at an altitude below the recommended abort altitude specified in the SOP; at the lowest
point of its approach, the airplane was about 10 to 30 ft above ground level (agl). According to
the SOP, “Abort altitudes may vary for every type of aircraft and situation. 200-300 ft AFE [agl]
is a good altitude for most aircraft.”
During the go-around, the pilot applied power and maneuvered to avoid obstacles; however, the
airplane impacted trees and terrain about 1,500 ft southeast of the departure end of the
runway. During the go-around, the pilot varied the flap position in a method not detailed in the
owner’s manual; benefits of this technique could not be determined by the available data.
Engine data monitor (EDM) data indicated that during the go-around, the engine’s speed did
not increase to the maximum rpm, despite the maximum manifold pressure being used, which
suggests the adjustable propeller may have remained set at a higher-than-desired pitch angle.
The impact with the trees substantially damaged the wings, empennage, and fuselage.
Examination revealed no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane
that would have precluded normal operation.
Postmortem toxicology testing of the pilot detected medications that can cause sedation and
psychomotor impairment; however, whether the pilot was impaired at the time of the accident
could not be determined from toxicological evidence alone. The pilot-rated passenger reported
that the pilot’s skills and decision making seemed fully intact.
- Probable Cause: The pilot’s delayed decision to go around after descending below the recommended abort altitude with a slight tailwind and an over-gross-weight airplane, which resulted in impact with trees and terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to follow the published guidance for airport operations.
