Cessna R182 accident near Fitchburg, Massachusetts, May 26, 2026
On May 26, 2026 at about 3:30 pm local time, a 1983 Cessna R182, registered N6287T, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Fitchburg, Massachusetts (Fitchburg Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 26, 2026 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Fitchburg, Massachusetts · Fitchburg Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna R182 NO SERIES, built 1983 · all R182s on the register
- Registration
- N6287T · registry record · serial R18201960
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had completed two previous landings uneventfully and was attempting to land for a third time. Review of airport surveillance video showed that the airplane approached the runway with a significant unarrested rate of descent while in a slightly nose high pitch attitude. The descent continued until the airplane contacted the runway hard, after which the nose landing gear immediately collapsed and the airplane came to stop on the runway. The underside of the airplane’s fuselage was substantially damaged during the 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
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 700 hours in all; 220 in this make and model; 6.8 in the last 90 days; 2.7 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: October 26, 2025
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,923 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 21, 2025; 3.9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-J3c5c (piston); 1,490 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 5,001 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Observation at 11:30 am
Weather report (METAR): SA 26/05/2026 15:52-> METAR KFIT 261552Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 26/09 A3006 RMK AO2 SLP179 T02560094=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Nose landing gear and lower forward fuselage damage
Photograph 2 – NLG tunnel damage
Photograph 3 – Forward fuselage structure damageThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on August 10, 2026. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Video File | MOV file | Download |
| 4 | Investigative Photos | PDF, 4 pages · our copy | 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.