# Accident 20040315004079A: Cessna 182P, Monticello, UT, March 15, 2004

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 15, 2004, 17:30 local time
- Place: Monticello, UT
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.8853° N, 110.0689° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.8853&lon=-110.0689&mi=10
- Aircraft: N400DH, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N400DH-2007-11-19) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 182P (registry code 2075816, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-182p) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental O-470 series (registry code 17026, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 182P
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 3,000 total, 2,600 in this make and model, 75 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB DEN04LA052](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN04LA052) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040315004079A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND AIRPLANE HIT GROUND SHORT OF RUNWAY. BLOCK 18;20;29;31;32;42;43 ARE INCOMPLETE AND AN AMENDED REPORT WILL BE FILED. (-23 AMENDMENT) PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER (SON) LANDED AT AN UNIMPROVED DIRT STRIP IN SOUTHERN UTAH FOR RECREATION. AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF LOOKING AROUND THEY DECIDED TO TAKE-OFF. THE STRIP WAS VERY ROUGH AND IN POOR CONDITION CREATING UNANTICIPATED DRAG WHICH SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED THE TAKE-OFF DISTANCE. PILOT STATED THAT JUST PRIOR TO ROTATION HE WENT OVER A SMALL DIRT BUMP WHICH PREMATURELY MADE THE AIRCRAFT GO AIRBORNE. BY THE TIME THIS OCCURRED THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH RUNWAY REMAINING TO SETTLE BACK TO THE RUNWAY TO GAIN MORE AIRSPEED. THE RUNWAY RAN UPHILL AND BEFORE THE PILOT COULD GAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED AND LIFT THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED INTO SOME SMALL TREES AND CRASHED. THE WINDS IN THE AREA WERE GUSTY AND THE DIRECTION WAS VARIABLE. THE TAKE-OFF UPHILL WAS INTO THE WIND AT FIRST BUT THE PILOT STATED IT SWITCHED TO PERHAPS A TAILWIND. THE WIND AND CONDITION OF THE DIRT STRIP COMBINED TO MAKE THE TAKE-OFF END AS AN ACCIDENT. THE HELCOPTER PILOT WHO ARRIVED WITHIN A COUPLE OF HOURS OF THE ACCIDENT STATED THE WINDS IN THE AREA THAT DAY    WERE VERY GUSTY AND CONSTANTLY SWITCHING DIRECTIONS. DUE TO THE PILOTS EXTENSIVE BACKCOUNTRY AIRSTRIP EXPERIENCE WITHOUT PRIOR ACCIDENTS IT WAS DECIDED COUNSELING WAS APPROPRIATE ACTION.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB DEN04LA052](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN04LA052), Mar 15, 2004: Cessna 182P (N400DH), Monticello, UT, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during takeoff. Contributing factors include the sudden windshift and the bushes.

## Other reports on N400DH (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19940802031809I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940802031809I), Aug 2, 1994: Cessna 182P (N400DH), Dixie, ID, Minor damage. Landed on 1800 foot runway at 7500 ft elevation. Unable to stop. Ran off end runway and struck parked aircraft.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.