Cessna 182D accident near Roundup, Montana, September 5, 2011
On September 5, 2011 at about 1:15 pm local time, a Cessna 182D, registered N8772X, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Roundup, Montana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 failure to maintain clearance from an obstacle during the landing flare.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 5, 2011 · about 1:15 pm local time
- Place
- Roundup, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182D · all 182Ds on the register
- Registration
- N8772X · registry record · serial 18253172
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that prior to landing on a dirt road he overflew the area, noting a group of cows nearby before entering a left-hand pattern for his intended landing area. During the landing flare, the pilot observed a cow approaching the flight path of the airplane from his left and attempted to maneuver the airplane to avoid a collision. Subsequently, the left main landing gear struck the cow and the airplane immediately veered to the left. Despite the pilot's control inputs, the airplane continued to the left, landed hard, bounced, and settled back onto the ground. A postaccident examination of the airplane by the pilot revealed structural damage to the left elevator, horizontal stabilizer, and engine firewall. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Response/compensation
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 600 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: October 31, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,208 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 21, 2011; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Roundup MT at 1:10 pm
- Destination: Roundup MT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
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.