Cessna 182P accident near Monticello, Utah, March 15, 2004
On March 15, 2004 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna 182P, registered N400DH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Monticello, Utah (Dark Canyon Middle Point airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during takeoff. Contributing factors include the sudden windshift and the bushes.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 15, 2004 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Monticello, Utah · Dark Canyon Middle Point · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N400DH · registry record · serial 18263990
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot noted the winds were variable from 7 to 10 knots with gusts to 15 generally from the east and elected to depart to the east. The ground roll was slow due to the soft dirt. Approximately two thirds down the runway, the airplane struck a hump on the runway and became airborne. The pilot lowered the nose slightly to gain airspeed. At the end of the runway, "the wind shifted from a headwind to a tailwind" and the airplane settled into the juniper bushes at the departure end of the runway and nosed over, substantially damaging the airplane.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,032 hours in all; 2,600 in this make and model; 56 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 2,836 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 26, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,579 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 7, 2003; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-S2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CNY Moab UT at 3:00 pm
- Destination: CNY Moab UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 2,631 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from CNY, 55 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.