ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 195858
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| Date: | Thursday 1 June 2017 |
| Time: | 11:55 |
| Type: |  Cessna 180 Skywagon |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N3683C |
| MSN: | 31182 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1954 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 4566 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental O-470 SERIES |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 7 miles northeast of Ventura, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Santa Paula, CA (KSZP) |
| Santa Paula, CA (KSZP) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The private pilot was conducting a local, personal flight over mountainous terrain. Several witnesses near the accident site reported that they heard a loud sound. Two witnesses stated that before hearing the loud sound, it sounded like the engine was powering up. Another witness stated that after hearing the loud sound, he looked up and saw the airplane spinning towards the ground, and that the engine and both wings had separated from the airplane.
During postaccident examination of the airplane, no pre-existing cracks or anomalies with the horizontal stabilizers, elevators, or wing structures were found. Additionally, the airplane was likely operated within the weight and balance limitations. Further, no preaccident anomalies with the flight controls were found that would have precluded normal airplane control. Damage noted at the wing and empennage separation points indicated that all cables were intact before the breakup. However, damage and deformation were observed on the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator that was consistent with a significant download that exceeded the capabilities of the structure. The wings had separated from the airplane, and the fractures and deformations were consistent with a negative overload failure of the wings.
Examination of the left horizontal stabilizer and elevator could not conclusively determine the cause of the damage and deformation but indicated that it was likely caused by a partial downward failure. The loads required to fail the horizontal stabilizers and elevators could not have been generated by normal flight or control movements. Such failures would have required the pilot to abruptly pull back on the yoke and move the elevator to a trailing-edge-up position, at speeds higher than the airplane's maneuvering speed. A review of the radar data returns indicated that before the in-flight breakup, the airplane was accelerating and had reached a speed that was higher than its maneuvering speed.
Given the radar data and wreckage examinations, it is likely that the pilot performed an abrupt and substantial pull up maneuver, while flying the airplane above maneuvering speed, which caused a downward failure of the right horizontal stabilizer and partial downward failure of the left horizontal stabilizer, which resulted in the airplane rapidly pitching nose down. Subsequently, the wings were overloaded in the negative direction and fragmented due to the abnormal aerodynamic loads. It could not be determined why the pilot would suddenly pull up; no radar returns or structural damage indicative of airplanes or birds were detected in the area. Further, a review of the weather information revealed that no significant weather or turbulence was reported or forecast in the accident area around the time of the accident.
Probable Cause: The pilot's abrupt and substantial pullup maneuver while flying the airplane above the maneuvering speed, which resulted in an in-flight breakup. The reason for the pilot's maneuver could not be determined based on the available evidence.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
FAA register: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=3683C
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 28 September 1989 | N519TW | George Thomas | 0 | Flagstaff, AZ | |
sub |
Location
Images:
Photo: NTSB
Media:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 01-Jun-2017 20:24 | Geno | Added |
| 01-Jun-2017 20:25 | Geno | Updated [Source] |
| 01-Jun-2017 20:40 | Geno | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Source] |
| 02-Jun-2017 05:54 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Embed code] |
| 02-Jun-2017 08:20 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Nature, Source, Embed code, Damage] |
| 14-Jun-2017 20:35 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Time, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 01-Jun-2019 07:27 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Accident report, ] |
| 01-Jun-2019 18:48 | harro | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Photo] |
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