Cessna 182 accident near Rockingham, North Carolina, January 23, 2021
On January 23, 2021 at about 8:45 pm local time, a 1968 Cessna 182, registered N42714, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Rockingham, North Carolina (Richmond County 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 improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a subsequent hard landing and a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 23, 2021 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Rockingham, North Carolina · Richmond County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 L, built 1968 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N42714 · registry record · serial 18259157
- 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 after a local flight, during the second landing, the airplane began to porpoise after the first touchdown. When the airplane touched down for a third time, the impact was hard, and the nose wheel separated from its strut. The airplane subsequently departed the runway and nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and wings. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Incorrect use/operation
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 130 hours in all; 11 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 69 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 16, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,249 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 12, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 5,312 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RCZ Rockingham NC at 7:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14/3, 5,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 3:35 pm from KRCZ
Weather report (METAR): KRCZ 232035Z AUTO 35007KT 10SM CLR 10/M13 A3019 RMK AO2 T01031131
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 13, 2021. 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.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo Array | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.