Cessna 182J accident near St. Paul, Minnesota, December 26, 2011
On December 26, 2011 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182J, registered N2618F, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near St. Paul, Minnesota (St. Paul Downtown Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to land on a runway with a gusting, quartering tailwind and his inadequate compensation for the wind, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 26, 2011 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- St. Paul, Minnesota · St. Paul Downtown Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182J · all 182Js on the register
- Registration
- N2618F · no longer on the register · serial 18256718
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Although the tower air traffic controller informed the pilot that the wind was from 230 degrees, the pilot elected to land on runway 14 instead of runway 27. He reported that the visual approach was stabilized as he approached the runway landing zone. However, the airplane encountered a gust of wind during the landing flare and landed hard on its nose on the runway centerline about 500 to 1,000 feet from the runway threshold. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the firewall was bent. The pilot reported that there was no mechanical malfunction or failure of the airplane. Five minutes after the accident, the reported surface wind was 240 degrees at 19 knots gusting to 26 knots.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 117 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 57 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 18, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,549 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 4, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mentone Flying Club INC
The flight
- Departed from: RPD Rice Lake WI at 7:00 pm
- Destination: STP St. Paul MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 6,491 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 19 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.70 inHg
- Observation at 8:05 pm from STP
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.