Cessna 182C accident near Lowman, Idaho, December 10, 2011
On December 10, 2011 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Cessna 182C, registered N800YD, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Lowman, Idaho (Warm Springs Creek airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 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 the runway surface firmness, which resulted in a nose-over during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 10, 2011 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Lowman, Idaho · Warm Springs Creek · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182C · all 182Cs on the register
- Registration
- N800YD · no longer on the register · serial 52418
- 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 he determined that the snow-covered runway was suitable for landing, based, in part, upon overflying it and seeing snowmobile tracks, which indicated to him that the surface was firm enough. After touching down on the main landing gear, the pilot held the nosewheel off the ground with full-aft elevator pressure, but, when the nosewheel settled, the airplane pitched down violently. It traveled for about 80 feet in the nose-down attitude before it abruptly nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the right wing and rudder. The pilot indicated that there were no mechanical issues with the airplane that would have precluded its 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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Snow/slush/ice covered › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 315 hours in all; 165 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 19, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,209 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 10, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: U88 Garden Valley ID at 4:50 pm
- Destination: 0U1 Lowman ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 02, 2,850 ft by 135 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.30 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from BOI, 32 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 23, 2011. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Weather Data | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.