Cessna 182 accident near Palo Alto, California, October 26, 2016
On October 26, 2016 at about 7:45 pm local time, a 2011 Cessna 182, registered N387CS, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Palo Alto, California (Palo Alto airport). 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 failure to perform a go-around when he recognized that the airplane was high and fast during the final approach, which resulted in an improper landing flare and a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 26, 2016 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Palo Alto, California · Palo Alto · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 T, built 2011 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N387CS · registry record · serial 18282287
- 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 final approach the airplane was "high and fast" and touched down hard. The pilot further reported that the airplane became airborne again and during the second touchdown the nose gear collapsed. Subsequently, the airplane slid to a stop coming to rest on the right edge of the runway. The fuselage and firewall sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preaccident 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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
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 › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: airship
- Flight time: 370 hours in all; 224 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 263 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 28, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,781.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 1, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 3,110 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-AB1A5 (piston); 1,782 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HAF Half Moon Bay CA at 7:30 pm
- Destination: PAO Palo Alto CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 2,443 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 8:47 pm from KPAO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on December 16, 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 | Record of Conversation (FAA Inspector) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photo | PDF, 1 page | 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.