BATAVIA, OH, USA
N3332U
CESSNA 182F
THE PILOT STATED THAT A HARD LANDING WAS MADE. THE POST ACCIDENT AIRPLANE EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE FIREWALL WAS BENT WHERE THE LEFT AND RIGHT ELEVATOR CABLE PULLEYS WERE ATTACHED. THE BEND IN THE FIREWALL DISLOCATED THE PULLEYS WHICH RELEASED ELEVATOR CABLE TENSION. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE FELT ELEVATOR CONTROL WAS PARTIALLY DISABLED PRIOR TO THE HARD LANDING HE MADE.
On Thursday, September 30, 1993, at 2000 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 182F, N3332U, owned and operated by Pike Aviation Inc., located in Troy, Alabama, and piloted by Leon Pennington of Troy, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing at the Clermont County Airport in Batavia, Ohio. The pilot was not injured. The passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot reported on the accident report form that he departed Troy and was destined for the Clermont County Airport. He stated he stopped at an airport in Lexington, Kentucky, for fuel. The pilot stated, "While landing at Lexington, the aircraft ballooned unexpectedly but was controllable. The elevator control response felt slight mushy prior to touchdown, all other controls felt fine. I examined the exterior flight control surfaces after shutdown and the flight control check was okay...." The pilot reported that he continued his flight to the Clermont County Airport and during the landing he thought the flight controls felt "slightly soft." The pilot stated that the next day he departed the Clermont County Airport for a local flight with a passenger on-board. The pilot stated that during the first landing that day, "Elevator control was similar to the two previous landings, except the landing was slightly harder. The elevator seemed to require additional input. We took off immediately." The pilot stated that after the hard landing was made, "[He] had to use extra pressure on the yoke for climb...." The pilot stated that during the next landing, "...same mushy, soft feel to the pitch attitude control. Aircraft over-flared. Compensated with forward yoke, aircraft over reacted and dove suddenly and we touched down harder than normal. Applied full power and attempted to level the nose. Elevator feels loose...we skipped once, then we were up." The pilot stated that once the airplane was airborne, "...Aircraft will just not climb and is barely accelerating." The pilot said that he made a "shallow" pattern and set up for another approach to runway 22. The pilot stated that during the landing the elevator control felt "loose and sloppy." He stated that pitch was not controllable and the airplane pitched down. He stated the airplane touched down and the propeller blades struck the runway and the airplane was "...pitching back and forth. Hit mains hard and we bounced up...." The pilot stated that the airplane was drifting right of the runway centerline so he decided to takeoff. He stated he applied power and pulled back on the yoke, but elevator control was nil. The pilot reported that due to the unresponsiveness to elevator control input, he "...pulled out the power and mixture to kill the engine in case of fire and we braced for the crash." The accident site was examined by a Federal Aviation Safety Inspector. The Safety Inspector stated that about 320 feet past the end of the runway, ground marks were noted and led to where the airplane came to rest. The ground marks measured about 680 feet. Post accident examination of the airplane revealed that the airplane's firewall was bent where the left and right elevator cable pulleys were attached. The bend in the firewall dislocated the pulleys which released elevator cable tension. No other airframe or engine anomalies were noted.
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER FLARE.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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