- Date
- April 25, 2003, 12:10 local (17:10 UTC)
- Place
- Marengo, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N35291Cessna 182T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA - DuPage FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030425012259A
- Case key
- 56894
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 pilot's improper flare. A factor contributing to the accident was the gusty crosswind.
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 airplane sustained substantial damage when it landed hard at a private grass airstrip. The pilot reported he encountered strong downdrafts and windshear while landing. The pilot stated he attempted to recover from the descent, but was unsuccessful. The airplane impacted the runway and the main landing gear penetrated into the sod runway. The landing gear then separated from the airplane and the airplane nosed over. A weather station 21 miles to the west of the accident site reported winds from 030 degrees at 17 knots, gusting to 22 knots.
Factual narrative
On April 25, 2003, at 1210 central daylight time, a Cessna 182T, N35291, piloted by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over following a hard landing on a private grass airstrip (2,400 feet by 70 feet, turf) in Marengo, Illinois. The pilot reported no injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Burlington, Wisconsin, about 1130.
The pilot reported he encountered a "strong downdraft or windshear" about 15 - 20 feet above the runway while landing to the east. The pilot stated he attempted to recover from the descent by adding power but was unsuccessful. The pilot noted the airplane impacted the runway and the main landing gear penetrated into the sod. The main landing gear then separated from the airplane and it nosed over.
The weather reporting station at the Greater Rockford Airport, 21 nautical miles to the west of the accident site reported at 1154, winds from 030 degrees at 17 knots, gusting to 22 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N35291
- Reported as
- Cessna 182T
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18280970
- Airframe hours
- 122
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-AB1A5, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 7, 2002 · 32 hours before
- Departed
- BUU · Burlington, WI
- Destination
- PVT · Marengo, IL
- Airport
- PVT · Private, runway 09, 2,400 × 70 ft, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- May 15, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,800 total · 1,100 in this make and model · 1,800 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 17 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.80 inHg
- Observed at
- RFD, 21 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.