Cessna 182 N82GS accident near Tiskilwa, Illinois

Probable cause

The pilot’s loss of control while preforming a short field takeoff.

NTSB analysis

The pilot departed from a 1,600-foot private airfield with three passengers in a single-engine airplane that had been modified for short takeoff and landing (STOL) operations. The pilot reported that he was doing a short field, maximum performance takeoff when the airplane encountered two strong wind gusts immediately after rotation, which caused the left wing tip to contact the ground and the airplane to nose over. Examination of the airplane at the accident site revealed that airplane was in a near-vertical, nose-down attitude, with the engine and propeller twisted about 90-degrees from the fuselage. Both wings had extensive damage, and the fuselage was crumpled and bent toward the cabin roof at a 45-degree angle. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane before the accident. According to the STOL manufacturer, a short field takeoff should be performed with 20-degrees of flaps and full throttle, followed by a lift-off at 35 knots, and then a level off and turn after reaching an airspeed of 45 knots.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN12CA665 for the full record.