Cessna 182R accident near Dothan, Alabama, June 18, 1991
On June 18, 1991 at about 6:25 pm local time, a Cessna 182R, registered N851CA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dothan, Alabama (Dothan airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
LACK OF SUPERVISION BY THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WHO ALLOWED A DUAL STUDENT TO MAKE A HARD LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 18, 1991 · about 6:25 pm local time
- Place
- Dothan, Alabama · Dothan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182R · all 182Rs on the register
- Registration
- N851CA · registry record · serial 182-67851
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE DUAL STUDENT WAS GIVEN A SIMULATED ENGINE FAILURE AT ABOUT 100 FEET AGL ON INITIAL TAKEOFF. HE LOWERED THE NOSE TO ESTABLISH A 75-KNOT GLIDE. A RAPID SINK RATE DEVELOPED, AND HE DID NOT FLARE THE AIRPLANE IN TIME TO PREVENT A HARD LANDING. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR DID NOT INTERVENE WITH THE PILOT'S ACTIONS PRIOR TO THE IMPACT WITH THE RUNWAY. THE INSTRUCTOR THEN PERFORMED A GO-AROUND AND LANDED THE AIRPLANE AFTER SURVEYING THE AIRCRAFT DAMAGE. THE DUAL STUDENT (W/COMMERCIAL RATING) HAD A TOTAL LOGGED FLIGHT TIME OF 1,872 HOURS, BUT ONLY 25 HOURS IN FIXED-WING AIRCRAFT.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,653 hours in all; 174 in this make and model; 199 in the last 90 days; 72 in the last 30 days; 2,930 as pilot in command; 831 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-U (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Flight Safety International
The flight
- Runway 13, 8,498 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from DHN, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.