Cessna 182T accident near Plainville, Connecticut, July 7, 2002
On July 7, 2002 at about 5:55 pm local time, a Cessna 182T, registered N3541A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Plainville, Connecticut (Robertson Field 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 7, 2002 · about 5:55 pm local time
- Place
- Plainville, Connecticut · Robertson Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182T · all 182Ts on the register
- Registration
- N3541A · registry record · serial 18281048
- 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, he completed several touch and go's with "no difficulty," during a "moderate crosswind." During the final landing, the airplane touched down on the runway, then began to porpoise. As the airplane bounced the second time, a gust of wind blew it to the right side of the runway. The airplane continued off the runway and over an embankment, and subsequently nosed over and collided with a fence. There were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 82 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: March 30, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 40.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 11, 2001; 40.1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,110 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming I0-540-ABIA5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4B8 Plainville CT at 5:20 pm
- Destination: 4B8 Plainville CT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 02, 3,612 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from HFD, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number IAD02LA069.