Cessna 182 accident near Cantwell, Alaska, August 9, 2008
On August 9, 2008 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182, registered N82Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi near Cantwell, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's misjudged distance while step-taxiing after landing. Factors in the accident were rain showers, wind, and spray from the airplane's propeller.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 2008 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Cantwell, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N82Y · registry record · serial 51039
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After landing the float-equipped airplane on a remote lake, the pilot step-taxied the airplane to shore. He said that as the airplane approached the shoreline, he inadvertently misjudged the distance, and delayed decreasing engine power. The pilot said he was unable to stop the airplane prior to the floats colliding with the bank. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane. At the time of the accident, winds were reported to be out of the north at 10 knots, with gusts to 20 knots. The pilot noted that the wind, rain showers, and water spray from the airplane’s propeller contributed to his misjudgment of the distance to the shoreline.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during taxi defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during taxi
The NTSB's findings
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › (general) › Effect on operation
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Rain › Effect on operation
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine
- Flight time: 1,572 hours in all; 47 in this make and model; 82 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 1,380 as pilot in command; 175 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 30, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,848.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 14, 2008; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,820 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental Motors IO-470-5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Cantwell AK at 2:00 pm
- Destination: Cantwell AK
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 20 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.