Cessna 182P, N58844: Accident occurred September 15, 2012 in Mecosta, Michigan

NTSB Identification: CEN12LA635
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, September 15, 2012 in Mecosta, MI
Aircraft: Cessna 182P, registration: N58844
Injuries: 1 Minor,1 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On September 15, 2012, about 0815 eastern daylight time, a Cessna model 182P airplane, N58844, was substantially damaged while landing at Mecosta Morton Airport (27C), Mecosta, Michigan. The private pilot sustained minor injuries and the passenger was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight that originated from Greenville Municipal Airport (6D6), Greenville, Michigan, about 0800.

The pilot reported that runway 21 had a displaced threshold of 460 feet, which resulted in an effective runway length of 1,550 feet. He stated that there was no appreciable wind during the landing attempt. He reported that the airplane bounced upon touchdown and that he initially believed it would settle back onto the runway without further incident. However, the airplane landed hard and bounced for a second time. The airplane then impacted nose first on the runway centerline, about 3/4 down the useable length of the runway. The nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane slid on the forward fuselage about 40 feet before it nosed over onto its back. The fuselage, firewall, empennage, and both wings were substantially damaged during the accident. The pilot noted that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. Additionally, he stated that he did not attempt an aborted landing because there were buildings located off the end of the runway, which he believed the airplane would not have been able to clear.

The closest weather observing station was located at the Roben-Hood Airport (KRQB), about 12 miles northwest of the accident site. At 0815, the KRQB automated surface observing system reported the following weather conditions: calm wind, visibility 10 miles; clear sky, temperature 05 degrees Celsius, dew point 04 degrees Celsius, altimeter setting 30.34 inches of mercury.


 MORTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) - Two people have minor injuries after their small airplane flipped and crashed at an airport in western Michigan.  The Mecosta County sheriff's department says the plane's nose gear broke Saturday, causing the plane to flip while landing at the Mecosta/Morton Airport, 60 miles north of Grand Rapids.   The 62-year-old pilot and his 60-year-old passenger were treated at the scene. They're from Greenville in Montcalm County.