Cessna 182R accident near John Day, Oregon, July 21, 2000
On July 21, 2000 at about 9:50 pm local time, a Cessna 182R, registered N101SP, was substantially damaged in an accident near John Day, Oregon (John Day State airport). It was a public-use flight under public-use (government) rules. 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 improper flare on touchdown resulting in a hard landing. A factor was the pilot's entrance into an inadvertent porpoise condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 21, 2000 · about 9:50 pm local time
- Place
- John Day, Oregon · John Day State · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182R · all 182Rs on the register
- Registration
- N101SP · registry record · serial 18268562
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Cessna 182R pilot reported that he set up for a straight-in visual approach to runway 09. About 2 miles out he lowered 10 degrees flaps and established 80 knots airspeed. About 1 mile out he lowered the flaps to 20 degrees maintaining 80 knots, and about 1/2 mile out he lowered the flaps to 30 degrees, established his speed between 70-80 knots, and then began the flare. Upon touchdown of the nose wheel, a loud 'chattering' noise ensued along with an intense vibration. The aircraft's nose wheel bounced twice on the pavement with the propeller making runway contact after the third bounce. A 'zigzag' black scuff mark on the runway pavement slightly left of the centerline was observed, along with two gouges in the asphalt roughly perpendicular to the track of the scuff. Post-crash examination of the damaged nose wheel fracture surfaces revealed evidence typical of overstress separation. All the bearing components were covered with an abundant amount of a lubricant and exhibited no heat tinting. No evidence of fatigue cracking was found in the fracture faces.
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: 230 hours in all; 36 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 178 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,675 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 5, 2000; 46 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-U (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Civil Air Patrol (Oregon Wing)
The flight
- Departed from: RDM Redmond OR at 8:45 pm
- Destination: 5J0
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 9, 3,436 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 10 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 99°F (37°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 pm from 5J0
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 SEA00TA138.