Cessna R182 N7568T

Summary

On 12 June 2003 at about 04:00 local time, a Cessna R182 registered N7568T was involved in an accident near Kent, Washington, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 June 2003 at 04:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Kent, Washington, United States

Nearest airport

Crest Airpark (S36)

Coordinates

47.3425, -122.1044

Aircraft

Cessna R182

Registration

N7568T

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Renton → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA03LA098

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the flaps to operate properly for undetermined reasons during the initial climb and subsequent aborted takeoff. A factor was the collapse of the main landing gear due to an inadequate amount of time for the gear extension process to be completed.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The CFI and private pilot reported that prior to practicing landings air work was accomplished which included numerous flap transitions from 40 degrees to 20 degrees. On short final for a touch-and-go landing the flaps were selected to 40 degrees, the full down position. Touchdown was within 300 feet of the runway threshold. During the landing rollout the instructor directed the student to set the flaps to 20 degrees, which the instructor double checked by looking at the flap selector lever. Power was added and the airplane rotated about 600 to 700 feet down the runway. After 5 seconds in the air the rear-seated passenger announced that the flaps were still full down. The instructor looked at the flap handle, which was at the 20-degree position, then moved it several times between the 20-degree and 0-degree position. The rear-seated passenger again announced that the flaps were not moving. As the instructor noticed the rate of climb was poor, he retracted the gear to reduce drag. Due to the poor performance and concern about clearing the obstacles ahead, he elected to land straight ahead on the 2,200 feet of runway remaining. Taking control of the airplane, the instructor reduced power and selected the landing gear to extend. When the aircraft touched down the nose gear was fully locked down, while both main landing gear were not in the down and locked position as a result of not having adequate time to extend; they were partially collapsed. Examination by an FAA inspector, who arrived about one hour after the accident, revealed the flaps were in the 40-degree position. All attempts by the inspector to move the flaps out of the 40-degree position with the flap selector lever were unsuccessful. However, after the aircraft was moved and the main landing gear extended to its down and locked position, FAA inspectors observed the flaps operate normally through their full range. An airframe and power plant mechanic found no anomalies which would have prevented normal operation. On the preceding flight the flaps had been written up as sticking full down twice.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.