Cessna 182 accident near Rockford, Illinois, March 12, 2018
On March 12, 2018 at about 2:30 pm local time, a 1979 Cessna 182, registered N96772, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Rockford, Illinois (Chicago/Rockford Intl 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 unnecessary action during the approach, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 12, 2018 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Rockford, Illinois · Chicago/Rockford Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 Q, built 1979 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N96772 · no longer on the register · serial 18266846
- 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, about 20 ft above ground level and about 80 kts, he reached for his iPad. He took his eyes off the runway to grab the device that was located on the seat next to him, and the airplane collided with the ground in a nose-down attitude. The pilot reported that he should not have taken his eyes off the runway during landing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage stringers, longerons, and formers. 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 defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (IFR initial approach)
- Hard landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Unnecessary action › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,428 hours in all; 17 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 3,328 as pilot in command; 628 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 9, 2018
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,144 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 21, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-U (piston); 1,021 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DBQ Dubuque CA at 2:00 pm
- Destination: RFD Rockford IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01, 8,200 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,300 ft; a few clouds at 2,600 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 pm from KRFD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on June 20, 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo (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.