Cessna 182T N716MC accident near Heath, Ohio

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain altitude after takeoff, which resulted in collision with trees and terrain.

NTSB analysis

The pilot was completing a local flight to three nearby airports and was returning to the originating airport. According to witnesses, after a hard touch-and-go landing, the airplane flew east at low altitude with the flaps still extended. The recorded flight track data indicated that, after the landing, the airplane climbed to about 500 ft above ground level (agl), then descended to about 84 ft agl. A doorbell camera video about one nautical mile (nm) from the accident site showed the airplane flying at a low altitude (about 158 ft agl according to the flight track data) with the wings relatively level. Another witness near the accident site observed the airplane about level with a nearby flagpole at the top of a hill (about 50 ft agl). The airplane then made a gradual descent toward the ground.

The airplane impacted a wooded area in a nose-low attitude. The 230-yard debris path comprised airplane components and tree branches. Many of the tree branches exhibited diagonal cuts and witness marks consistent with the engine producing power as the airplane descended through the trees. The airplane impacted the ground and continued across a road, where it collided with a metal guardrail before it descended an embankment and came to rest.

Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failure that would have precluded normal operation. The wing flaps were found retracted at the accident site.

Four of the pilot’s flight instructors provided statements about his training history, piloting skills, and other concerns. Their statements were consistent in indicating that the pilot was easily distracted from the task of flying the airplane and tended to drift off course and altitude. The instructors indicated that the pilot was usually “behind the airplane” and had issues with basic airplane control.

Based on the pilot’s training history and the accident circumstances, it is likely that the pilot was distracted and did not maintain a safe altitude, which resulted in an inadvertent collision with trees and terrain.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN22FA113 for the full record.