# NTSB CEN26LA009: Cessna 182RG, N4609S, Cottonville, IA, October 3, 2025

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report
- Date: October 3, 2025, 17:20 local (22:20 UTC)
- Place: Cottonville, IA
- Coordinates: 42.226, -90.642 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.2260&lon=-90.6420&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Enroute: Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/340)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: FAA
- NTSB case key (mKey): 201790
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN26LA009
- NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/201790/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA009

## Preliminary report

On October 3, 2025, about 1720 central daylight time, a Cessna 182RG airplane, N4609S, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Cottonville, Iowa. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that during cruise flight he noticed an increase in engine rpm. He attempted to increase the pitch of the propeller to decrease engine rpm, but there was no response from the engine. The pilot declared an emergency with air traffic control and was cleared to descend to 4, 000 ft mean sea level (msl) and to proceed to Dubuque Regional Airport, Dubuque, Iowa. The pilot stated that as he leveled at 4,000 ft msl, he heard a sound similar to an engine misfire, and the engine immediately shook “violently” and ran rough as the airplane started descending rapidly. The pilot noticed the engine oil pressure gauge had dropped to zero. The pilot executed a forced landing to a road. During the rollout, the left wing struck the shoulder of the road, the airplane departed the roadway and impacted a barbed wire fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing strut, right horizontal stabilizer, and the fuselage. The airplane was retained for further examination.

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Enroute: Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/340) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna TR182, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/340/sequence.md?model=2072735), [All aircraft, 820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/340/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N4609S](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4609S), registered now, S/N R18201355, built 1979 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 182RG
- Registry model: [Cessna TR182](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-tr182) (registry code 2072735) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming O-540-J3C5D](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-540-j3c5d) (registry code 42361, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: R18201355
- Year built: 1979
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: N4609s LLC
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Departed: irk, Kirksville, MO
- Destination: c29, Middleton, WI
- Airport: DBQ

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 200° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 86 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observed at: KDBQ, 11 nm away
- METAR: KDBQ 032153Z 20010KT 10SM CLR 30/16 A3011 RMK AO2 SLP190 T03000156,M

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20251003015249A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20251003015249A), Oct 3, 2025: Cessna TR182, La Motte, IA, Substantial damage. Engine RPM became uncontrollable while enroute from irk to C29 at 9,000 ft. the engine began shaking violently as throttle was increased to hold altitude.…

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.

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