Cessna 305C (0-1E) accident near Rexburg, Idaho, August 27, 2022
On August 27, 2022 at about 3:17 pm local time, a 1961 Cessna 305C (0-1E), registered N305SU, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Rexburg, Idaho. 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 airplane control during the landing roll on a wet airstrip.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 27, 2022 · about 3:17 pm local time
- Place
- Rexburg, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 305C (0-1E), built 1961 · all 305C (0-1E)s on the register
- Registration
- N305SU · registry record · serial 305M-0007
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot in the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that, while landing on a private grass strip, he noticed water on the north end of the landing area. He stated that he landed long to the south of the wet area with a 5 kt tailwind. When the airplane touched down, it encountered standing water. The airplane subsequently nosed over, coming to rest inverted. The wings and vertical stabilizer were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Wet surface › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 9,000 hours in all; 300 in this make and model
- Last flight review: May 24, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (waiver time limited special)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,277 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 28, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 2,430 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470-15 (piston); 283 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KREX Rexburg ID at 3:17 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway Sout, 1,300 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 am from KRXE, 5 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KRXE 271453Z AUTO VRB03KT 10SM CLR 14/08 A2994 RMK AO2 SLP097 T01390083 58000
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 30, 2022. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | 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.