Cessna 182J N2618F accident near St. Paul, Minnesota

Probable cause

The pilot's decision to land on a runway with a gusting, quartering tailwind and his inadequate compensation for the wind, which resulted in a hard landing.

NTSB analysis

Although the tower air traffic controller informed the pilot that the wind was from 230 degrees, the pilot elected to land on runway 14 instead of runway 27. He reported that the visual approach was stabilized as he approached the runway landing zone. However, the airplane encountered a gust of wind during the landing flare and landed hard on its nose on the runway centerline about 500 to 1,000 feet from the runway threshold. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the firewall was bent. The pilot reported that there was no mechanical malfunction or failure of the airplane. Five minutes after the accident, the reported surface wind was 240 degrees at 19 knots gusting to 26 knots.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN12LA113 for the full record.