Cessna 182 accident near Rose Hill, Kansas, September 3, 2015
On September 3, 2015 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 1967 Cessna 182, registered N3417R, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Rose Hill, Kansas (Cook Airfield). 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 pitch control during the landing flare, which resulted in a porpoise and subsequent hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 3, 2015 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Rose Hill, Kansas · Cook Airfield · 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 1967 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N3417R · registry record · serial 18258717
- 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 landing he approached "a little faster" than he would have liked. During the landing flare, he further reported that the airplane ballooned, bounced, and then began to porpoise down the runway, with the last bounce being "fairly hard." The pilot taxied off the runway without further incident. During the post-flight inspection, the pilot reported that "everything looked ok" with the airplane, but he did see fuel dripping from the underside of the fuselage. During a maintenance inspection one day after the accident, substantial damage to the firewall was identified. 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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing defining event
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 › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 120 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 120 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 19, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,300 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 15, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 2,300 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: K50 Rose Hill KS at 3:00 pm
- Destination: K50 Rose Hill KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 2,507 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 2:58 pm from KIAB, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.