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ANC22LA055

2022-05-22 · Port Moller, Alaska, United States · Serious · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Current FAA registration · N757R

Make / Model
CESSNA 182C
Year of manufacture
1960 · 62 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR O-470 SERIES (230 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19600130
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AA3581

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection, which did not detect a screw in the control yoke column, and his failure to confirm flight control continuity before takeoff.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that he remembered only portions of the accident sequence due to injuries sustained in the accident. He said that during takeoff from a remote, grass-covered site, as the airplane accelerated, he recalled discovering that there was no elevator control when he moved the control yoke aft. The next thing he remembered was being upside-down in the airplane immediately after the accident. The airplane subsequently impacted terrain, sustaining substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and vertical stabilizer. After the accident, a camp helper told the pilot that due to windy conditions the prior evening, he had placed a large screw through the hole in the control yoke column, but he had forgotten to tell him. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Inspection-Preflight inspection-Pilot
  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2022_ANC22LA055.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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