Cessna 182 accident near White Plains, New York, October 21, 2009
On October 21, 2009 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182, registered N4731N, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near White Plains, New York (Westchester County Airport). It was a personal 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
The pilot's failure to attain the proper touchdown point, resulting in a landing overrun. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s excessive airspeed in an attempt to comply with air traffic control’s request to expedite his landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 21, 2009 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- White Plains, New York · Westchester County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 R · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N4731N · no longer on the register · serial 18267744
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he approached the airport during night conditions and was told by air traffic control to expect runway 29. He glanced at the approach chart and noted the runway was more than 4,400-foot-long, but learned after the accident that it had a displaced threshold resulting in 3,164 feet being available for landing. He entered the downwind leg, then turned onto base leg when the controller requested he proceed direct to the numbers at the best forward speed. The pilot elected to land with no flaps and while on final approach, was advised by the controller to expedite through the intersection of runways 11/29 and 16/34. The airplane touched down past the runway intersection, which at the center has approximately 2,854 feet runway remaining to the departure end of runway 29. In a statement to the Federal Aviation Administration inspector-in-charge, the pilot-rated-passenger reported that the airplane's estimated speed to the runway was 110 knots. The pilot further stated that after touchdown, he was unable to stop the airplane. It traveled off the end of the runway, down an embankment, onto a service road and collapsed the nose landing gear. No preimpact malfunctions were reported by the pilot.
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 defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
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 › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,348 hours in all; 884 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 1,306 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 23, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Other crew
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 534 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,088 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 22, 2009; 118 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-U (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Big Skylands Aviation, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: ILG New Castle DE at 9:27 pm
- Destination: HPN White Plains NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 29, 4,451 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 170° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 pm from HPN
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.