CLEVELAND, OH, USA
N6183T
Cessna 182RG
The pilot and co-pilot departed on an night instrument flight rules flight into IMC conditions in an airplane not certified for flight in known icing conditions. At 3000 feet, the airframe accumulated light to moderate rime ice with clear ice on the windscreen, wing leading edges, and wing struts. Because of the ice accumulation, the pilot advised the co-pilot to adjust the approach and landing speeds to avoid a stall. However, during the landing flare, the copilot encountered an inadvertent stall and subsequent hard landing. An AIRMET for icing conditions covered the area of the accident flight and called for occasional moderate rime to mixed icing in clouds and in precipitation between 3,000 and 16,000 feet.
On April 11, 2000, at 2150 Eastern Daylight Time, a Cessna 182RG, N6183T, operated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, was substantially damaged during a hard landing on Runway 5L at Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport (CLE), Cleveland, Ohio. The certificated commercial pilot and co-pilot were not injured. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the positioning flight that originated at Cuyahoga County Airport (CGF), Cleveland, Ohio, at 2130. An instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. In a written statement, the pilot said they flew from CLE to the Cuyahoga County Airport earlier in the day. He said: "At about 9:30PM, an hour and a half after landing, the weather still had not improved. Additionally, [Flight Service] advised that there probably would not be any significant improvement to the current conditions of 600' overcast, 2-4 miles visibility, temperature 39 F with winds at Cleveland Hopkins 340 degrees at 11 knots gusting to 17. No icing was reported or forecast below 6000'. We decided to return to Cleveland Hopkins. We filed IFR and were cleared direct to Cleveland at 3000'. We used full carburetor air and pitot heat. Upon reaching 3000' the aircraft began picking up a combination of light to moderate rime and clear ice on the windscreen, leading edges, and struts. We advised Cleveland Approach of our status and requested a descent to a lower altitude, which was denied due [to] 2500' radio antennas in the vicinity. Approach stated other aircraft were reporting no icing at 4000' and cleared us to that altitude. "At 4000', we were still IFR but the ice stopped accumulating. As we were being sequenced in amongst the growing stack of airliners also going to Hopkins, we made sure to keep our airspeed over 120 knots to avoid an inadvertent stall caused by the increase in weight from the ice. We were also carrying a nearly full load of fuel. We held the gear and flaps until after the final approach fix (FAF) avoiding the extra drag on the aircraft. As the C/P [co-pilot] flew the localizer and glideslope, we broke out about 900' and picked up the runway, 5 Right, visually. The tower asked us to sidestep to 5 Left, which we did, but in hindsight it may have been a mistake. At Cleveland Hopkins, runway 5 Right has both edge and center lights and is the main instrument runway. Runway 5 Left has only edge lights, which fail to provide illumination on the runway. Considering the potential for drifting as we flared on landing with a strong left cross wind, the extra illumination would have helped in recognizing and making appropriate corrections in a timely manner. "I told the C/P not to get below 80 knots on landing. As we flew over the numbers the C/P began to flare the aircraft, at which time I sensed a sinking feeling in the aircraft that began to increase as the nose attitude was increased. About that time I sensed the impending stall. The aircraft landed hard on the main mounts followed quickly by the nose gear striking hard on the runway." The pilot described the remedial actions he took to maintain control of the airplane and taxi the airplane to parking. Initial inspection of the airplane revealed a broken nose wheel and a flat nose tire. On May 2, 2000, during a routine 100-hour inspection, substantial damage was discovered in the area of the engine firewall. The FBI then contacted the Safety Board to report the accident. In a written statement, the copilot said: "I have reviewed the pilot's description of events related to the aircraft accident on April 11, 2000, and I fully concur with his statement." The pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane. The airplane was equipped with neither anti-icing nor de-icing equipment. According to the Cessna Model R182 Information Manual, "Flight into known icing conditions is prohibited." The manual stated that this information was placarded in full view of the pilot. The pilot reported 3,900 hours of total flight experience, 3,000 hours of which were in the 182RG. The copilot reported 3,520 hours of total flight experience, 550 hours of which were in the 182RG. Weather reported at CLE at 2154 was ceiling 900 overcast with 10 miles visibility. The winds were from 340 degrees at 8 knots, the temperature was 34 degrees and the dewpoint was 30 degrees. The National Weather Service Weather Center issued AIRMET Zulu update 3 at 1545, and it was valid until 2200. The AIRMET was for icing conditions which covered the area of the accident flight and called for occasional moderate rime to mixed icing in clouds and in precipitation between 3,000 and 16,000 feet, with conditions spreading northeastward and continuing beyond 2200 through 0400. According to the pilot: "In retrospect, I was surprised at how the airplane just 'fell out of the sky'. Mentally, my mind was not thinking of a stall at 80 knots airspeed with only 10 degrees of flaps, considering the amount of ice we had accumulated. In spite of being late with the power on final, I believe that had it not been for applying full power and aft elevator after the main mounts hit, we would have experienced a prop strike. As with any icing encounter it is imperative to increase your approach and landing speeds and be cognizant of your nose attitude, landing with power on, depending on runway length. As always, fly the airplane and never relax until the engine is shut down and the chocks are in place."
the pilot's intentional flight into known icing conditions which resulted in an inadvertent stall/mush and hard landing. A factor in the accident was the icing conditions.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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