Cessna 182Q accident near Mesa, Arizona, August 20, 2008
On August 20, 2008 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Cessna 182Q, registered N95841, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Mesa, Arizona (Falcon 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 20, 2008 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Mesa, Arizona · Falcon Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182Q · all 182Qs on the register
- Registration
- N95841 · registry record · serial 18266652
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he had just completed two touch-and-go landings in crosswind conditions without incident. During the takeoff roll following the third touch-and-go landing, the pilot retracted the flaps, turned off the carburetor heat, and gradually increased the engine power. He was applying control pressure to the ailerons and rudder to counteract the crosswind, and after the airplane reached a speed of 50 knots, the wind velocity reduced. The airplane then departed the runway to the left and collided with a runway sign, causing substantial damage to the fuselage.
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
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Response/compensation
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 239 hours in all; 52 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 181 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,619.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2008; 63 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,960 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FFZ Mesa AZ at 8:15 am
- Destination: FFZ Mesa AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22R, 3,799 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 1:45 pm from FFZ
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.