Cessna 182 accident near North Platte, Nebraska, August 22, 2017
On August 22, 2017 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 1959 Cessna 182, registered N2465G, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near North Platte, Nebraska (Lee Bird Field). It was a personal 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 pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 22, 2017 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- North Platte, Nebraska · Lee Bird Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 B, built 1959 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N2465G · registry record · serial 51765
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot in the high-performance, tailwheel-equipped airplane, he accomplished a normal wheel landing on the asphalt runway in light-and-variable wind conditions. He reported that, during the landing roll, the tailwheel settled to the runway and began a "violent shimmy." The airplane exited the left side of the runway and ground looped to the left. The right wing and the elevator struck the ground. The pilot taxied the airplane to parking. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and the elevator. The pilot reported that, shortly after the accident, he retrieved a metal clamp from the airport, which he believed was on the runway during the time of the accident. The accident airplane was originally manufactured with tricycle landing gear and was converted to a tailwheel-equipped airplane. A Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspector examined the airplane's tailwheel assembly, including the tire and the wheel, for evidence that a clamp had gotten caught in the tailwheel assembly. He reported that there were no signs of any scarring to the wheel, tire, or steering assembly. There were no signs of tire damage from skidding, and the tailwheel's control cables were intact. He reported that "there [was] no visible sign of any sort [that] this tailwheel was operated any way other than what it is designed for, and there is not any physical sign it was ever not following the [inputs] from the pilot."
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 landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion 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 › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 31,914 hours in all; 840 in this make and model; 12.8 in the last 90 days; 4.6 in the last 30 days; 6,500 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 7, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,172.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 26, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,348 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 (piston); 75 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LBF North Platte NE
- Destination: LBF North Platte NE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 8,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from KLBF, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on March 27, 2018. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photos (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 2 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.
