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Accidents · NTSB ERA11CA341 · Final report

Cessna 182K accident near Bentonia, Mississippi, June 12, 2011

On June 12, 2011 at about 7:25 pm local time, a Cessna 182K, registered N2740Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) start-up) near Bentonia, Mississippi. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).

The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged

The pilot’s loss of control on the ground during engine start, which resulted in a collision with nearby equipment. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s improper engine start procedure and improper securing of the seat.

Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.

What the record shows

Date
June 12, 2011 · about 7:25 pm local time · cases in 2011
Place
Bentonia, Mississippi · map
Type
Accident
Injuries
1 person had minor injuries.
Weather
visual conditions (good weather)
Aircraft
Cessna 182K · all 182Ks on the register
Registration
N2740Q · no longer on the register · serial 18257940
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)

The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record

According to the pilot, she performed a preflight of the airplane and attempted to start the engine. After several unsuccessful attempts, she leaned the mixture setting, advanced the throttle, and attempted another start. The engine started, and she advanced the mixture and throttle controls. The engine increased to a high rpm setting, and the airplane moved forward and to the left. The pilot stated that she attempted to stop the airplane with the brakes; however, the pilot seat slid aft, and she was unable to reach the brake pedals. The airplane impacted nearby equipment, nosed over, and came to rest inverted, sustaining substantial damage to the fuselage, tail, and wings.

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

  1. Loss of control on ground during standing (engine(s) start-up) defining event
  2. Ground collision during standing (engine(s) start-up)

The NTSB's findings

  • cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Pilot
  • cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
  • cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained

Pilot

  • Certificate: private
  • Ratings: single-engine land
  • Flight time: 224 hours in all; 86 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 143 as pilot in command
  • Last flight review: May 31, 2010
  • Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
  • Seat: left
  • Injury: minor injuries

The aircraft

  • Airframe total time: 5,260 hours
  • Last inspection: annual inspection, August 3, 2010
  • Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
  • Seats: 4
  • Landing gear: fixed
  • Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total

The flight

  • Departed from: Bentonia MS
  • Destination: 87I Yazoo City MS
  • Flight plan: none

Weather at the time

  • Light: daylight
  • Wind: from 350° at 9 knots
  • Visibility: 10 statute miles
  • Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
  • Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
  • Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
  • Observation at 6:54 pm from JAN, 27 miles away

Injuries

FatalSeriousMinorNone
Flight crew1

Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report

3 documents, released by the NTSB on January 4, 2012. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.

The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.

Other NTSB records under N2740Q the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time

1997-05-07FTW97LA195 · accident near Little Rock, AR · substantial damage · no injuries

Connections how this case links to the rest of the register

Aircraft
Place
Record

The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA11CA341.json.

The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.

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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.