Cessna 182K accident near Olympia, Washington, December 27, 2004
On December 27, 2004 at about 11:20 pm local time, a Cessna 182K, registered N2536Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Olympia, Washington (Olympia Regional 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 improper flare. Factors include too high of an airspeed and an inadvertent porpoise.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 27, 2004 · about 11:20 pm local time
- Place
- Olympia, Washington · Olympia Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182K · all 182Ks on the register
- Registration
- N2536Q · registry record · serial 57736
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a VFR approach the pilot decided to keep the aircraft's speed fairly high because he had been sequenced ahead of a couple of other aircraft that were on long final approaches. He therefore crossed the runway threshold at a higher speed than he would normally use, and after he initiated the landing flare, the aircraft began to porpoise. He then attempted to push it onto the runway surface by applying forward pressure on the control yoke, but during that attempt, the aircraft descended at a rate that resulted in it hitting the runway surface hard enough to bend the engine firewall. It was determined that there were no problems with the aircraft's engine or flight controls, but instead the pilot had simply over-controlled the pitch input.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,497 hours in all; 512 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: October 20, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,694 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KFOT Rohnerville CA at 8:00 pm
- Destination: KOLM Olympia WA
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 17, 5,419 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 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.