Cessna 182P accident near So. Charleston, West Virginia, February 22, 2003
On February 22, 2003 at about 8:42 pm local time, a Cessna 182P, registered N21408, was substantially damaged in an accident near So. Charleston, West Virginia (Mallory airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to perform a go-around prior to touchdown. Factors in the accident were the rising terrain and tail wind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 22, 2003 · about 8:42 pm local time
- Place
- So. Charleston, West Virginia · Mallory · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N21408 · no longer on the register · serial 18261619
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot planned to fly from the departure airport, to another airport, and return. After takeoff the pilot noted a 30-knot tailwind during the first leg of the flight. He landed uneventfully, refueled, and then departed for the 40 minute return flight to the origination airport. Arriving at the origination airport, he obtained the ATIS from a nearby airport which reported the wind to be from 160 degrees at 9 knots. The pilot entered the downwind for runway 33, a 2,000 foot long, 24 foot wide asphalt runway, and selected full flaps. During the downwind leg the pilot note it was "rough and bouncy," and when he was on his base leg, the wind was pushing him towards the airport. The pilot also said that while on final, the winds were pushing him towards the left of the runway and he tried to correct with rudder, but due to the severe winds he had no positive rudder action at first. Then the rudder "kicked in," but still the winds were very strong. As the pilot initiated the flare, he could feel the airplane yaw to the right and start to float down the runway. He added "full left" rudder, and got the airplane back over the centerline. The airplane then yawed "hard" to the left, and the pilot responded with "full right" rudder. One of the wheels touched down about the middle of the runway, and at that same point, the pilot decided to abort the landing. He added full throttle, turned the carburetor heat OFF, and raised the flaps to the takeoff position. The pilot recalled that the airspeed was below the "green arc," and that the airplane was climbing, but at an insufficient rate to clear the trees and power lines at the far end of the runway, so he aimed for a small opening between some trees. The airplane struck trees and came to rest upside down. The pilot stated he had conducted several hundred takeoffs and landings at the accident airport over the past several years. The airport had one runway, 15/33, and under operational restrictions it stated, "Land to the North." The airport was constructed on a hill, with the high ground to the north and northwest. Winds reported at a nearby airport were from 150 degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 19 knots.
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: 330 hours in all; 275 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 225 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 30, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,675.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 25, 2002; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: I18 Ravenswood WV at 8:00 pm
- Destination: WV12 So. Charleston WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 2,000 ft by 24 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 13 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.11 inHg
- Observation at 8:54 pm from CRW, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.