Cessna 182Q accident near Hanksville, Utah, July 18, 2015
On July 18, 2015 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 1977 Cessna 182Q, registered N735JB, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Hanksville, Utah (Hidden Splendor 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 directional control during the takeoff roll, which resulted in a runway excursion and a collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 2015 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hanksville, Utah · Hidden Splendor · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182Q Q, built 1977 · all 182Qs on the register
- Registration
- N735JB · no longer on the register · serial 18265451
- 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 during the takeoff roll, the airplane "bounced" off of the air strip, the left wing "suddenly rose," and that a wind gust pushed the nose to the right by "30 degrees." The right wing contacted a dirt mound, the airplane slid sideways, drifted off of the air strip to the right, and impacted terrain in a ravine. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and to the fuselage. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine 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
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Runway excursion during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Debris/dirt/foreign object › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 717 hours in all; 550 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 659 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 21, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,887 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 22, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-U (piston); 3,887 hours total
- Operator: Reynor Shine LLC
The flight
- Departed from: DVT Phoenix AZ at 3:45 pm
- Destination: U660 Hanksville UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 1,910 ft by 25 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 9 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from KHVE, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.