What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 4, 2025, privacy data omitted, a Cessna 182, departed from North Central State Airport (ksfz) to conduct parachute jump operations. According to the privacy data omitted of the aircraft, the pilot was unable to latch the jump door after jumpers exited the aircraft. The pilot stated that he held the door closed as he returned to ksfz due to the door "flapping in the wind". During the landing phase, the pilot added nose up trim. When he added the nose up trim, the nose of the aircraft pitched down. The aircraft experienced a hard landing on the runway. The owner noted that the propeller did not strike the runway.
The privacy data omitted stated that the pilot of the aircraft and a mechanic, who was located on the field, inspected the aircraft after the event occurred. Upon inspection of the aircraft, the mechanic noted that there was evidence that the firewall had "buckled" and that the trim had been installed incorrectly. The mechanic noted to the owner that if the pilot selected nose down trim, the trim would go to a nose-up position. If the pilot selected nose up trim, the trim would go to a nose-down position.
To determine the level of damage sustained during the landing, the aircraft was inspected by the FAA on October 10, 2025 at ksfz. The following items were found:
• Firewall station 0.0 shows wrinkling on the right hand (passenger) side outboard and above the nose landing gear attachment area with the nose landing gear appearing to be slightly skewed to the left. The fuselage skin was also buckled at the exterior where it joins the firewall center right hand side.
• Inside the cockpit, the rudder pedal area showed signs of bending along the center pedestal support tunnel and support brackets.
• The jump door (located on the right hand side), door frame and locking mechanism, show wear and damage from repeated operational use. The damage to the jump door include the window on the door being broken and some of the pieces located in the baggage area.
• The elevator trim system was found to have reversed function. Rotation of the elevator trim wheel, nose up (trim wheel rotated down) causes the trim tab to move up. Rotation of the elevator trim wheel, nose down (trim wheel rotated up), causes the trim tab to move down.
• The propeller, propeller spinner, and engine did not show evidence of damage.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 4, 2025, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A CESSNA 182, DEPARTED FROM NORTH CENTRAL STATE AIRPORT (KSFZ) TO CONDUCT PARACHUTE JUMP OPERATIONS. ACCORDING TO THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THE AIRCRAFT, THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO LATCH THE JUMP DOOR AFTER JUMPERS EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HELD THE DOOR CLOSED AS HE RETURNED TO KSFZ DUE TO THE DOOR "FLAPPING IN THE WIND". DURING THE LANDING PHASE, THE PILOT ADDED NOSE UP TRIM. WHEN HE ADDED THE NOSE UP TRIM, THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A HARD LANDING ON THE RUNWAY. THE OWNER NOTED THAT THE PROPELLER DID NOT STRIKE THE RUNWAY.
THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT THE PILOT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND A MECHANIC, WHO WAS LOCATED ON THE FIELD, INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT AFTER THE EVENT OCCURRED. UPON INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT, THE MECHANIC NOTED THAT THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT THE FIREWALL HAD "BUCKLED" AND THAT THE TRIM HAD BEEN INSTALLED INCORRECTLY. THE MECHANIC NOTED TO THE OWNER THAT IF THE PILOT SELECTED NOSE DOWN TRIM, THE TRIM WOULD GO TO A NOSE-UP POSITION. IF THE PILOT SELECTED NOSE UP TRIM, THE TRIM WOULD GO TO A NOSE-DOWN POSITION.
TO DETERMINE THE LEVEL OF DAMAGE SUSTAINED DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT WAS INSPECTED BY THE FAA ON OCTOBER 10, 2025 AT KSFZ. THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WERE FOUND:
• FIREWALL STATION 0.0 SHOWS WRINKLING ON THE RIGHT HAND (PASSENGER) SIDE OUTBOARD AND ABOVE THE NOSE LANDING GEAR ATTACHMENT AREA WITH THE NOSE LANDING GEAR APPEARING TO BE SLIGHTLY SKEWED TO THE LEFT. THE FUSELAGE SKIN WAS ALSO BUCKLED AT THE EXTERIOR WHERE IT JOINS THE FIREWALL CENTER RIGHT HAND SIDE.
• INSIDE THE COCKPIT, THE RUDDER PEDAL AREA SHOWED SIGNS OF BENDING ALONG THE CENTER PEDESTAL SUPPORT TUNNEL AND SUPPORT BRACKETS.
• THE JUMP DOOR (LOCATED ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE), DOOR FRAME AND LOCKING MECHANISM, SHOW WEAR AND DAMAGE FROM REPEATED OPERATIONAL USE. THE DAMAGE TO THE JUMP DOOR INCLUDE THE WINDOW ON THE DOOR BEING BROKEN AND SOME OF THE PIECES LOCATED IN THE BAGGAGE AREA.
• THE ELEVATOR TRIM SYSTEM WAS FOUND TO HAVE REVERSED FUNCTION. ROTATION OF THE ELEVATOR TRIM WHEEL, NOSE UP (TRIM WHEEL ROTATED DOWN) CAUSES THE TRIM TAB TO MOVE UP. ROTATION OF THE ELEVATOR TRIM WHEEL, NOSE DOWN (TRIM WHEEL ROTATED UP), CAUSES THE TRIM TAB TO MOVE DOWN.
• THE PROPELLER, PROPELLER SPINNER, AND ENGINE DID NOT SHOW EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.