Cessna 182 accident near Moab, Utah, June 7, 2008
On June 7, 2008 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Cessna 182, registered N2375G, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Moab, Utah (Canyonlands Field Airport). It was a skydiving 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 inadequate compensation for the tailwind condition, and improper use of additional power while taxiing. Contributing to the accident was soft ground and a gusting tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 7, 2008 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Moab, Utah · Canyonlands Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N2375G · no longer on the register · serial 51675
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Skydiving flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot landed on runway 33, which is a dirt runway. The wind direction at the time was 320 degrees at 19 knots, gusting to 29. The pilot turned the airplane around to back taxi to parking. While back taxiing, the airplane's nose wheel encountered a soft spot of sand, and the pilot added some power to get through the soft spot. The tail came up, and the airplane nosed over.
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
- Nose over/nose down during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Soft › Contributed to outcome
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Contributed to outcome
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Contributed to outcome
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Crosswind correction › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 413 hours in all; 225 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: February 1, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,827 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2007
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Skydive Moab LLC
The flight
- Departed from: KCNY Moab UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 1,800 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 19 knots, gusting 29
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 9:53 pm from KCNY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.