Cessna 402 accident near Mount Sterling, Kentucky, February 17, 2018
On February 17, 2018 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 1971 Cessna 402, registered N402MY, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Mount Sterling, Kentucky (Mount Sterling-Montgomery Coun 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 instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll on a wet surface.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 17, 2018 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mount Sterling, Kentucky · Mount Sterling-Montgomery Coun · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 402 B, built 1971 · all 402s on the register
- Registration
- N402MY · no longer on the register · serial 402B0109
- 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 landing after it had just rained, the airplane touched down on the first third of the wet runway on the centerline. During the landing roll, he let the airplane roll to the end of the runway so that he did not have to use excessive brake inputs. He added that, as he turned left toward the taxiway, he noticed the brakes were not very effective and that the airplane began to pivot to the right. He felt the right main landing gear and nosewheel slide. The airplane exited the runway, and the nosewheel "bumped and folded." Subsequently, the airplane came to rest nose down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Runway excursion during landing
- Landing gear collapse during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing
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 › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Wet surface › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 2,969 hours in all; 248 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 2,700 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 5, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 6,301 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cont Motor TSIO 520SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cont Motor TSIO 520SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ISM Orlando FL at 4:00 pm
- Destination: IOB Mount Sterling KY
- Runway 03, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: overcast at 400 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 7:35 pm from KIOB, 1 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
3 documents, released by the NTSB on April 3, 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record - Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Picture (Courtesy of FAA) | 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.