- Date
- April 8, 1995, 11:54 local (16:54 UTC)
- Place
- Calera, AL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N47DBCessna 182J
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 31, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950408007159A
- Case key
- 3544
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilots improper decision to land downwind on the short runway.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot stated that during the final approach to the runway, the wind direction changed from a crosswind to a tailwind. He continued the landing, and touched down on the last two thirds of the 1,300 foot sod strip. He stated that he was unable to stop the aircraft on the runway. The aircraft ran off the end of the runway, collided with a ditch, and nosed over.
Factual narrative
On April 8, 1995, at 1154 central daylight time, a Cessna 182J, N47DB, overran the runway, collided with a ditch, and nosed over during an attempted landing at a private airstrip near Calera, Alabama. The personal flight operated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot was not injured. The flight departed Shelby County Airport in Alabaster, Alabama, at 1135 hours.
The pilot stated that during the final approach to the runway, the wind direction changed from a crosswind to a tailwind. He continued the landing, and touched down on the last two thirds of the 1,300 foot sod strip. He stated that he was unable to stop the aircraft on the runway. The aircraft ran off the end of the runway, collided with a ditch, and nosed over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N47DB
- Reported as
- Cessna 182J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18257548
- Airframe hours
- 2,300
- Engine
- Lycoming O-470, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Bradford, Duke C.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 31, 1994 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- 21A · Alabaster, AL
- Airport
- NONE · Private, runway 5, 1,300 × 30 ft, grass/turf
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 68
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total · 100 in this make and model · 3,900 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 12 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BHN, 25 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.