The pilot reported that, while departing from a short snow-covered airstrip in Rapid City, S.D., the Cessna 182’s nosewheel lifted off upon arriving at the “go/no go” decision point.
He added that, about 30 feet further the airplane encountered deeper snow and the nose landing gear lowered to the ground. Subsequently, he reduced the throttle and aborted the takeoff.
The airplane exited the airstrip to the left, the right wing encountered terrain, and the airplane spun 180° and came to rest in a ditch.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the elevator and both wings.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable cause: The pilot’s selection of unsuitable terrain for takeoff, which resulted in a loss of control and runway excursion.
NTSB Identification: GAA18CA173
This March 2018 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
sometimes even a 182 cant do it
i Have a 2500 ft strip and I question the conditions such as this
Pushing your luck see what you get
Hard to determine from the few photos posted, but were the flaps lowered for a short field takeoff procedure?
I always thought a nice follow up to these stories would be titled “ What were you thinking” , an interview with the pilot.
The FAA form 6120 has a pilot narrative on what happened. Some times that is a ‘what I’d do differently’ comment.
see the docket…
https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms/search/hitlist.cfm?docketID=61156&CFID=3253418&CFTOKEN=74d61e7ec2847b9a-F07374EF-EE6C-F383-BC5F2271926CE254
What an avoidable waste of a nice 182….my favorite aircraft!
A private, 1,450 ft, soft, grass, snow covered runway…..what could go wrong.?
Maybe plow the snow off ?
At least take a 2,900 foot walk to see how much snow is on the runway…..maybe 10 minutes of time, vs wrecking and aircraft.!