| Crash location | 36.812500°N, 111.646389°W |
| Nearest city | Marble Canyon, AZ
36.815543°N, 111.637661°W 0.5 miles away |
| Tail number | N2898F |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 31 Aug 2003 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 182J |
| Additional details: | None |
On August 31, 2003, about 0830 mountain standard time, a Cessna 182J, N2898F, collided with the ground during an attempted go-around at Marble Canyon Airport, Marble Canyon, Arizona. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan had been filed. The personal cross-country flight originated from Cottonwood Airport, Cottonwood, Arizona, about 0730.
The pilot reported in a written statement that he circled Marble County Airport at 7,000 feet mean sea level (msl), attempting to get a clear visual of the airport windsock prior to landing. An attempt was also made to try to contact UNICOM for an airport advisory. Wind conditions could not be obtained from the windsock due to its poor condition and UNICOM was unmanned. The pilot elected to land on runway 21 and, at 4,600 feet msl, entered its standard traffic pattern from 45 degrees to downwind. On final approach full flaps and full nose-up trim were applied, and the airplane felt stable. During the initial touchdown, the airplane bounced and a go-around was initiated in an effort to avoid a potential propeller strike. With the airplane at full power and in nose-up configuration, the left wing stalled. No compensation was ever made for the full nose-up trim. The airplane came to rest inverted.
During a telephone interview with the pilot, he reported that he was never sure of the wind conditions at the airport. He also recalled that when executing the go-around he did not retract flaps. The airplane stalled about 10 feet above ground level (agl), nosed over, and came to rest on runway 21 with its nose pointing toward 030 degrees. The pilot could not speculate why the aircraft initially bounced on initial contact with the runway. There were no mechanical malfunctions reported.
The pilot operating handbook (POH) for the airplane states that during a go-around the pilot should add full power, retract flaps to 20 degrees, and then obtain 55 knots.
the failure of the pilot to retract the flaps and attain a sufficient airspeed during the attempted go-around, which resulted in a stall. The full nose-up trim was a contributing factor.