Cessna 182E accident near Martinsville, Indiana, May 22, 2009
On May 22, 2009 at about 8:24 pm local time, a Cessna 182E, registered N3229Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Martinsville, Indiana (Mc Daniel'S Field Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to attain the proper touchdown point during landing and his delay in initiating a successful go-around, which resulted in a loss of airspeed and an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 2009 · about 8:24 pm local time
- Place
- Martinsville, Indiana · Mc Daniel'S Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182E · all 182Es on the register
- Registration
- N3229Y · no longer on the register · serial 18254229
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the landing at a private airport, the pilot "landed long to avoid [a] dip in the field..." With the flaps positioned at 30 degrees, the airplane landed on the grass runway (2,000 feet long by 90 feet wide). The pilot felt that the airspeed was too fast to stop and he aborted the landing and attempted to execute a go-around. He retracted the flaps and applied full engine power. He "jumped the airplane off the grass" and tried to get the airplane to clear power lines. The airplane stalled and the left wing impacted another set of power lines. The airplane impacted several vehicles in a used car parking lot and came to rest on top of three vehicles. The pilot sustained serious injuries; the passenger and a person on the ground sustained minor injuries. The pilot indicated that he should have touched down sooner "or make [the] go-around decision if that is not possible on short fields like this one..."
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
- Landing area overshoot during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR go-around)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 671 hours in all; 371 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 597 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 30, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,756 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 19, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 90IN Martinsville IN at 6:50 pm
- Destination: 90IN Martinsville IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.