NTSB CAROL · Event
Event GAA18CA226
Registry · N67WM
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
CESSNA G58
Year of manufacture
2017 · 1 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR IO-550-C (300 hp)
Seats / Engines
6 seats · 2 engines
Last airworthiness date
20170823
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A8DB5F
Registrant of record
NILES AIR LLC
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during approach he was distracted by the right front seatback falling forward and interfering with his view of the airplane's control panel. He added that he tried numerous times to push the seat back, but it would not stay in the upright position. During final approach, he reached over to try and latch the seat belt to secure the seatback in an upright position. The airplane landed hard, and porpoised. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system located on the accident airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 200° at 13 knots, gusting to 17 knots. The pilot landed on runway 22. The pilot reported that, during approach, he was distracted by the right front seatback falling forward and interfering with his view of the airplane's control panel. He added that he tried numerous times to push the seatback upright, but it would not stay in the upright position. During final approach, he reached over to try to latch the seat belt to secure the seatback in an upright position. The airplane landed hard and porpoised. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system located on the accident airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 200° at 13 knots, gusting to 17 knots. The pilot landed on runway 22. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).
- C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Landing flare-Not attained/maintained - C
- C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2018_GAA18CA226.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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