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GAA17CA533

2017-09-12 · Silver Springs, Nevada, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport SPZ

Current FAA registration · N946CA

Make / Model
CESSNA T182T
Year of manufacture
2008 · 9 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING TIO-540-AK1A (235 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20080818
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AD23A5

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The flight instructor’s failure to maintain a proper descent rate during a simulated engine failure, which resulted in a bounced landing.

Factual narrative

The flight instructor reported that the purpose of the flight was to provide a proficiency check out for the pilot, which is an organizational requirement prior to pilots being authorized to fly their airplanes. After completing area work, they returned to the airport. The pilot landed the airplane and taxied back to the departure end of the runway. The flight instructor then assumed control of the airplane for the purpose of demonstrating a rejected takeoff after a simulated engine failure. About 50 to 100 ft above the ground, he retarded the throttle, lowered the flaps to 40°, and lowered the nose. An excessive sink rate developed, and the airplane touched down slightly nose up, bounced, then rolled to a stop. A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the fuselage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The flight instructor reported that the purpose of the flight was to provide a proficiency checkout for the pilot, which is an organizational requirement before pilots are authorized to fly their airplanes. After completing area work, they returned to the airport. The pilot landed the airplane and taxied back to the departure end of the runway. The flight instructor then assumed control of the airplane to demonstrate a rejected takeoff after a simulated engine failure. About 50 to 100 ft above the ground, he retarded the throttle, lowered the flaps to 40°, and lowered the nose. An excessive sink rate developed, and the airplane touched down slightly nose up, bounced, then rolled to a stop. Postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the fuselage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident 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.

  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Instructor/check pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Descent rate-Not attained/maintained - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2017_GAA17CA533.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (engine failure). All research papers