Cessna 182S accident near Phoenix, Arizona, February 6, 2004
On February 6, 2004 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Cessna 182S, registered N2462X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Phoenix, Arizona (Phoenix Deer Valley 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 misjudged landing flare, which led to a hard touchdown and a porpoise.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 6, 2004 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Phoenix, Arizona · Phoenix Deer Valley Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182S · all 182Ss on the register
- Registration
- N2462X · registry record · serial 18280791
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane landed hard and porpoised down the runway. The pilot reported that after a normal approach and touchdown on runway 25R, the nose gear collapsed and the airplane veered off the runway and nosed over. A certified flight instructor in the traffic pattern behind and above the accident airplane observed the accident sequence. He reported that the accident airplane appeared fast and was not on a stabilized approach. After the airplane touched down, it began to porpoise, with each oscillation getting larger. A mechanic stated that there was no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane. He said the airplane appeared to have sustained a hard landing.
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: 103 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,835 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 29, 2004; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,110 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-A131A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DVT Phoenix AZ at 10:30 pm
- Destination: DVT Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25R, 4,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from DVT
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 LAX04LA119.