Cessna 182L accident near Metaline Falls, Washington, September 2, 2012
On September 2, 2012 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 182L, registered N42014, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Metaline Falls, Washington (Sullivan Lake airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadequate compensation for a sudden wind shift during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway overrun.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 2, 2012 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Metaline Falls, Washington · Sullivan Lake · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182L · all 182Ls on the register
- Registration
- N42014 · no longer on the register · serial 18258808
- 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 there was a sudden wind shift from a headwind to a tailwind during the landing roll. This pushed the airplane past the end of the runway and down a 50-foot embankment and resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and control surfaces. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have affected 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
- Windshear or thunderstorm during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Sudden wind shift › Ability to respond/compensate
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,432 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 6, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 65S Bonners Ferry ID at 7:00 pm
- Destination: 09S Metaline Falls WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 1,765 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 12 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 7:35 pm from KSZT, 43 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.