Loss of Control in Flight · NTSB WPR16FA170
CESSNA 182 — Clinton, MT
| Date | August 28, 2016 |
| Location | Clinton, MT |
| Aircraft | CESSNA 182 |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Uncontrolled descent Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 56 |
| Pilot total time | 632 hrs · Building experience |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 2 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Not determined-Not determined-(general)-(general)-Unknown/Not determined - C
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
What happened
The private pilot was conducting a local flight in the airplane, which he was planning to purchase. A witness saw the airplane initially overfly the runway from east to west, then turn back to the east and onto a right downwind for landing to the west on runway 25; the witness, who was a pilot, reported that the wind was directly down the runway about 8 knots. When the airplane was on a short final approach about 15 ft above the runway, it suddenly turned 90° to the right, in what the witness estimated was a bank angle of about 30° to 40°. The airplane continued at a low altitude toward the north perimeter of the airport where it impacted a stand of trees, then proceeded through the trees before coming to rest upright on the south shoulder of an interstate highway. Shortly thereafter, a postcrash fire erupted and consumed the airplane. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The reason for the sudden right turn while on short final approach could not be determined during the investigation.