Cessna R182 incident near West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, May 18, 2005
On May 18, 2005 at about 11:44 pm local time, a Cessna R182, registered N6149S, suffered minor damage in an incident near West Mifflin, Pennsylvania (Allegheny County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the landing gear actuator downlock pin due to fatigue, which resulted in the nose landing gear collapsing on landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 18, 2005 · about 11:44 pm local time
- Place
- West Mifflin, Pennsylvania · Allegheny County Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna R182 · all R182s on the register
- Registration
- N6149S · registry record · serial R18201627
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While maneuvering, the pilot moved the landing gear handle to the "down" position, and received an unsafe indication for the nose landing gear. He then attempted to troubleshoot the system and lower the landing gear manually, but without success. A normal landing was performed to the runway, and the airplane started to roll out on all three landing gear. While decelerating through approximately 40 knots, the nose gear collapsed, the propeller struck the runway, and the airplane slid to a stop on its nose. Examination of the nose landing gear revealed that a downlock actuator pin on the nose landing gear actuator had failed due to fatigue, and worked partially out of its clevis half. The broken pin contacted the actuator arm piston, and prevented the full travel of the nose landing gear to the down and locked position. A manufacturer's service bulletin that addressed the inspection and replacement of the downlock pins had not been completed.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 399 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 42 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 327 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,632.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2005; 43.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-J3C5D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Steel City Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: AGC West Mifflin PA at 10:30 pm
- Destination: AGC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 3,825 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from AGC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.