Cessna 182P accident near Payson, Arizona, February 10, 1998
On February 10, 1998 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 182P, registered N52748, was substantially damaged in an accident near Payson, Arizona (Payson Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The collapse of the nose landing gear for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 10, 1998 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Payson, Arizona · Payson Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N52748 · registry record · serial 18262816
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the accident aircraft performed a preflight inspection of the aircraft, including reviewing the logbook and squawk sheet, with no discrepancies noted. The operator of the flight school said that a student pilot had done a hard landing with this airplane approximately 10 hours before this flight. He visually examined the aircraft for damage and did not find any damage to the nose gear as a result of the hard landing. The pilot of the accident airplane reported a normal landing and touchdown, but stated that the nose gear continued to lower as the weight of the airplane landed on the runway. She stated she could not steer the airplane to the taxiway, so she shut down the engine and called for assistance.
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: 194 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 106 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,458 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 15, 1997; 73 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SDL Scottsdale AZ at 8:00 pm
- Destination: E69
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 5,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:45 pm from PRC, 135 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.