Cessna 182J accident near Yellow Pine, Idaho, June 26, 2008
On June 26, 2008 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Cessna 182J, registered N3381F, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Yellow Pine, Idaho (Johnson Creek 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 non-stabilized approach that resulted in an improper flare and porpoise down the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 26, 2008 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Yellow Pine, Idaho · Johnson Creek · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182J · all 182Js on the register
- Registration
- N3381F · registry record · serial 18257381
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was high and fast on the approach to the runway. When the pilot flared for landing, the airplane floated and he tried to force it on the ground. The airplane began to porpoise, contacting the ground twice before settling onto the runway for the third and final time. The pilot thought that the nose wheel was damaged when the airplane contacted the runway the second time, so he decided not to go around. The airplane sustained structural damage to the firewall. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Incorrect use/operation
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action sequence › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 350 hours in all; 306 in this make and model; 81 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 302 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,998 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental O-470-S (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S30 Lebanon OR at 2:00 pm
- Destination: 3U2 Yellow Pine ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,400 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from KMYL, 26 miles away
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.