NTSB Factual Report

On April 22, 2004, at 1615 central daylight time, a Cessna 182U single-engine airplane, N7435Q, registered to and operated by Whirlybird Inc., of Vail, Arizona, was substantially damaged when it collided with a vehicle after landing on runway 17 at the Boerne Stage Field Airport (5C1), near San Antonio, Texas. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The local flight departed 5C1 at 1530.

The 15,632-hour pilot reported in the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2), that he performed a short/soft field landing on runway 17 (a 4,000-foot long by 40-foot wide asphalt runway). As he lowered the nose of the airplane, he noticed that there was a road grader located at the edge of the runway. Subsequently, the right wingtip of the airplane struck the grader. The pilot stated that he did not notice that the grader was a hazard until he was only "2 car-lengths" away. The airplane "veered hard" off the right side of the runway after the collision and came to rest upright.

The pilot further reported that the grader had been operating in the vicinity of the runway for several days and he had "grown accustomed to seeing it" and was not alarmed by its presence on the airport near the runway. The pilot stated that because the field is short with tall trees surrounding it, he was concentrating on making a "short field, full stall" landing. The pilot stated that although he took "evasive action," he was unable to completely avoid the grader.

Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, who responded to the site of the accident, revealed the upper right side of the fuselage was buckled. The outboard 15 inches of the right wing was crushed aft and buckled.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's inattentive planned approach to land on a runway with obstructions.