Cessna 182 accident near Springfield, Kentucky, July 10, 1997
On July 10, 1997 at about 1:16 am local time, a Cessna 182, registered N8568T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Springfield, Kentucky (Smith Farm airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's misjudgment of distance and speed, and his delay in aborting the landing. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot's failure to attain a proper touchdown point for landing, and proximity of the fence to the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 10, 1997 · about 1:16 am local time
- Place
- Springfield, Kentucky · Smith Farm · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N8568T · no longer on the register · serial 52468
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed from a local airport for a 15 minute flight to a sod strip on his farm. After touchdown, the pilot decided he was traveling 'too fast' to complete a safe landing and applied power to clear a fence. The airplane struck the fence, and separated the nose wheel after landing in a field beyond the departure end of the strip. The airplane then nosed over and came to rest inverted.
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: 236 hours in all; 148 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,805 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 20, 1996; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 6I2 KY
- Destination: NONE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 1,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.