Cessna 182J accident near Skwentna, Alaska, October 23, 2015
On October 23, 2015 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 1966 Cessna 182J, registered N3092F, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Skwentna, Alaska (Whiskey Lake Airstrip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 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 pitch control during landing, which resulted in a porpoise and structural damage to the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 23, 2015 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Skwentna, Alaska · Whiskey Lake Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182J, built 1966 · all 182Js on the register
- Registration
- N3092F · registry record · serial 18257192
- 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 the airplane landed hard due to the uphill slope of the grass strip. He reported that at touchdown, the airplane porpoised, veered to the left, and the left wing impacted a tree branch. The pilot aborted the landing, departed the area, and landed at an airport without further incident. A postflight inspection revealed substantial damage to the fuselage, the left wing, the floor boards underneath the rudder pedals, and the firewall. 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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (flare/touchdown)
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 › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 69 hours in all; 66 in this make and model; 28 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 11, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,952 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 23, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470R (piston); 3,952 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SXQ Soldotna AK
- Destination: None Skwentna AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 1,123 ft by 54 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from PASW, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on January 29, 2016. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photos | PDF, 4 pages | 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.