Cessna 182P accident near Westminster, Maryland, June 13, 2015
On June 13, 2015 at about 3:15 pm local time, a 1976 Cessna 182P, registered N1248S, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Westminster, Maryland (Carroll County Rgnl/Jack B Poa airport). It was an instructional 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 flight instructor's delayed remedial action during the landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing and porpoise.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 13, 2015 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Westminster, Maryland · Carroll County Rgnl/Jack B Poa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P NO SERIES, built 1976 · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N1248S · registry record · serial 18264817
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and student pilot were conducting practice takeoffs and landings while remaining in the airport traffic pattern. During the third landing, with the student pilot at the flight controls, the nose wheel impacted the runway and the airplane porpoised. The flight instructor assumed control of the airplane, landed, and taxied off of the runway. After clearing the runway, the accident airplane received a transmission over the airport's common traffic advisory frequency that the propeller had impacted the runway during the porpoise. The flight instructor stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the fuselage and engine firewall.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 57 hours in all; 54 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 6 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,610 hours in all; 78 in this make and model; 54 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 4,472 as pilot in command; 3,580 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 8, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,455 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 22, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont-Motor O-470 S1B (piston); 74 hours total
- Operator: Cote Orphan LLC
The flight
- Departed from: DMW Westminster MD at 2:45 pm
- Destination: DMW Westminster MD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 5,100 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,300 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 3:15 pm from KDMW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| 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.