Cessna 182G accident near Georgetown, California, April 17, 2012
On April 17, 2012 at about 11:20 pm local time, a Cessna 182G, registered N3272S, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Georgetown, California (Georgetown 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 failure to maintain control of the airplane while landing with a gusting wind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 17, 2012 · about 11:20 pm local time
- Place
- Georgetown, California · Georgetown Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182G · all 182Gs on the register
- Registration
- N3272S · no longer on the register · serial 18255772
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he flew over the airport and observed the windsock favoring runway 16 with a 5- to 8-knot crosswind. He made the landing approach with the right wing down, and had good directional control. The airplane was in the flare when it encountered two wind gusts that lifted the airplane and caused it to land hard twice. Upon the second hard landing, the nose pitched down and the airplane veered to the left, off the runway, over a taxiway, and impacted a hangar nose first. The pilot expressed concerns that the pilot's seat may have slid back during the landing. The seat and seat rails were in compliance with applicable airworthiness directives and were properly functioning. The right wing and fuselage were substantially damaged.
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 on ground during landing
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Windshear › Ability to respond/compensate
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 22,572 hours in all; 114 in this make and model
- Last flight review: March 11, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,076 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2011
- 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: KS2P Santa Paula CA at 7:45 pm
- Destination: KE36 Georgetown CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 16, 2,980 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from KAUN, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.