Cessna 182T accident near Zionsville, Indiana, April 20, 2008
On April 20, 2008 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna 182T, registered N46EF, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Zionsville, Indiana (Indianapolis Executive 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 failure to maintain directional control during the crosswind landing. Contributing to the accident were the gusting crosswind and the runway light.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 20, 2008 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Zionsville, Indiana · Indianapolis Executive Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182T · all 182Ts on the register
- Registration
- N46EF · registry record · serial 18280992
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was practicing touch-and-go landings with a 90-degree right crosswind of 11 knots, gusting to 15 knots. During touchdown the right wing began to rise as the airplane drifted to the left. The pilot stated that he "overcorrected" for the left drift and the airplane skidded off the right side of the runway. The left wing was substantially damaged when it struck a runway light. According to the pilot, the accident could have been prevented if he had increased his landing speed, used less than full wing flaps, and had maintained directional control by keeping the upwind wing down longer during landing.
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 landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Response/compensation
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Response/compensation
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Runway/taxi/approach light › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 334 hours in all; 28 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 264 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 1, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,015 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-AB1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TYQ Zionsville IN at 6:20 pm
- Destination: TYQ Zionsville IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 5,501 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 11 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,600 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 6:25 pm from TYQ
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.