Cessna 182Q accident near Melbourne, Florida, March 3, 2001
On March 3, 2001 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Cessna 182Q, registered N4949N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Melbourne, Florida (Melbourne International 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot-in-command to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll of the touch-and-go landing resulting in the on ground collision with a ditch and subsequent separation of the nose gear wheel and fork assembly and nose over of the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 3, 2001 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Melbourne, Florida · Melbourne International · 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
- N4949N · registry record · serial 18267474
- 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 after takeoff the flight proceeded to Melbourne International Airport where he visually flew several practice instrument approaches to the runway which terminated with touch-and-go landings. The last approach before the accident landing was visually flown using the instrument landing system (ILS); he intended on terminating the approach with a touch-and-go landing. The airplane was landed on the runway centerline about 65 knots and he retracted the flaps then advanced the throttle when a, "...gust of wind picked up the wing and turned aircraft 30 degrees to the left." He applied aileron and rudder input which lowered the wing but did not correct the heading. He reduced the throttle when the airplane departed the runway; the nose landing gear wheel and fork assembly separated after collided with upsloping terrain of a water retention ditch. The airplane then nosed over and came to rest approximately 100 feet from the ditch. He further stated that he could not recall if he had aileron input applied during the landing roll to counter the crosswind. A special METAR weather observation taken approximately 10 minutes after the accident indicates in part that the wind was from 210 degrees at 12 knots; no gusts were reported. Postaccident examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed no discrepancies with the flight control cables for pitch or roll; impact damage precluded check of the rudder flight control cables. Additionally, the brakes and tires were checked with no discrepancies noted.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,200 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 2,926 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 2, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,113 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 31, 2000; 57 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Cont O-470-U (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: COI Cocoa FL at 2:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27L, 9,483 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,600 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 3:40 pm from MLB
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 MIA01LA090.