CAA ACCIDENT REPORT SUMMARY: CESSNA 182J
Date of accident: August 20 1997
Time of accident: 1100Z
Aircraft registration: ZS-EGS
Type of aircraft: Cessna 182J
Pilot-in-command licence type: PPL
Pilot-in-command flying experience: Total Flying Hours: 220
Hours on Type: 146
Last point of departure: Weide Aerodrome
Next point of intended landing: Koningsmark, Messina district
Location of the accident site: Koningsmark airfield
Meteorological information: Fine
Number of people on board: 1+2
Number of people injured: 0
Number of people killed: 0
SYNOPSIS
During the landing on a private farm strip at Koningsmark in the Messina district the pilot stated that the aircraft veered to the left of the runway. The pilot claimed that he applied right rudder to arrest this movement and had no response. The left wing started touching the small trees next to the runway and the aircraft yawed to the left. It impacted with the trees and the fence to the left of
the runway.
PROBABLE CAUSE
The pilot landed on the gravel surfaced farm airstrip and lost directional control during the landing roll. The aircraft collided with trees and the boundary fence of the airstrip.
Jim’s analysis
The remarkable thing about this accident is how often it’s repeated.
Look through CASA’s accidents and incident reports and you will be shattered by how often this happens. And every time someone goes farming it whacks all our insurance premiums.
I would like to tell you that I have discovered the reason why pilots can’t keep straight, but sorry I haven’t. However, here are some of the things that contribute to the problem:
• Tensing up on both rudders on the ground and in the air. Everyone does it, or has done it. I often see a pilot’s legs trembling with the strain of pushing as hard as he can on both pedals together. No, I have no idea why people do this – but they do. Aircraft designers build rudder pedals, not strong enough to do their job, but strong enough to withstand the brute force of a big man fighting with himself. Obviously, when you do this you are not going to be very good at steering. Also, when you tense up you often press hard on one or both toe brakes which will pull you sideways or make you skid on gravel or wet grass.
• Consider this: Several pilots who have gone off to the left after landing, which seems to be the most popular direction, have told me they thought they were putting their foot on the clutch! No, don’t ask me.
• Occasionally a gust of crosswind, or a whirlwind, may put you seriously off course and you suddenly have to be brutal on the pedals to make things go your way.
• On the Cherokee series of aircraft, if you lift your feet too high they will be pushing on a torque tube that runs above the pedals. It doesn’t move – it is a fixed bar and you have absolutely no rudder control.
• Finally, pilots often tend to pussy-foot on the rudders. They are somehow afraid of pushing too hard. They feel the aircraft may sort of overbalance of get out of control.
Ultimately, I have to blame the instructors. Yes, even with this pilot who has logged more than 200 hours after his initial training. A good instructor will put you on the centreline at 40mph and then tell you to move to the left-hand side and back on to the centreline. And then to the right, and so on. You have to be really positive on the rudders. This exercise gives you huge confidence and will save you from this sort of silly accident.
What can we learn?
• Be the pilot in command – not the pilot pussy-footing.
• Try to catch yourself tensing up on both pedals - then stop doing it.
• If you are in gusty or whirlwind whether, be prepared to be firm and positive.
• Watch the position of your feet on the pedals and brakes. Keep your heels on the floor and only lift your feet to get at the toe brakes when you need them.
• If you are flying a Cherokee, stick your head under the panel and have a look at the torque tube. Then remember not to get your size 12s on it.
• Finally, if you are not absolutely happy about directional control on the ground, get a good instructor to do the centre, left, centre, right exercise with you until you have got it for the rest of time.
Jim Davis has 15,000 hours of immensely varied flying experience,
including 10,000 hours civil and military flying instruction. He is an
established author, his current projects being an instructors’ manual
and a collection of Air Accident analyses, called Choose Not To Crash. Visit Jim's website by clicking here.
Subscribe to Australian Flying to read more.