Cessna 182L accident near St. George, Utah, August 16, 1998
On August 16, 1998 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182L, registered N42631, was substantially damaged in an accident near St. George, Utah (St. George Municipal 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 maintain control of the airplane. Factors were excessive airspeed and allowing the airplane to porpoise with subsequent loss of directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 1998 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- St. George, Utah · St. George Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182L · all 182Ls on the register
- Registration
- N42631 · registry record · serial 18259115
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot 'crabbed' into the wind as he approached runway 16 (6,101 feet x 100 feet, asphalt) for landing. He removed the crab angle with opposite rudder just before touching down. The airplane touched down 'softly,' then lifted off. The pilot pushed the control yoke forward and the airplane settled back to the runway. When he flared the second time, the airplane landed 'firmly.' The nose 'came up fast,' causing the stall warning horn to sound. The airplane touched down again 'very hard.' The airplane was 'bucking or bouncing' and veered off the left side of the runway, collapsing the nose landing gear. The pilot theorized that 'a gust of wind caused the nose to come up fast, then slammed down hard causing nose gear to collapse,' although he made no mention of wind gusts in the weather section of his report. He also theorized that the second touch down was 'too heavy on the nose gear,' causing the shock absorber to compress and allow the propeller to strike the ground. A witness said the airplane's approach speed appeared to be 'hot,' and the airplane bounced three times.
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
- Flight time: 166 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 87 as pilot in command; 79 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,551 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 2, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-S (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: POC La Verne CA at 7:30 pm
- Destination: SGU St. George UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 6,101 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 97°F (36°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.