Cessna 182A accident near Las Vegas, Nevada, April 14, 2009
On April 14, 2009 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Cessna 182A, registered N4816D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Las Vegas, Nevada (North Las Vegas Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate compensation for the gusty crosswind conditions while landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 14, 2009 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Las Vegas, Nevada · North Las Vegas Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182A · all 182As on the register
- Registration
- N4816D · no longer on the register · serial 34916
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that he was landing on runway 25 and that during the landing flare he experienced wind gusts from multiple directions. The tower controller said the airplane landed in the dirt next to the runway. The airplane's nose landing gear failed and the airplane nosed down onto its spinner and right wing tip, coming to rest upright. The right wing tip's outer two feet were bent up and wrinkled. Additionally, the propeller's spinner was crushed and both blades were bent aft. The pilot reported the wind from 240 degrees at 14 knots, while the airport's Automated Surface Observing System reported the wind from 210 degrees at 22 knots, gusting to 31 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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Response/compensation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 597 hours in all; 278 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 597 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 17, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,777 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 12, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TPH Tonopaw NV at 7:30 pm
- Destination: VGT Las Vegas NV
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 25, 5,004 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 22 knots, gusting 31
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.53 inHg
- Observation at 9:20 pm from VGT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.