Cessna 182H N2040X accident near Lakeview, Arkansas

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain a proper approach path during landing which resulted in a collision with terrain short of the runway. Contributing to the accident was the improper flap position during landing, and the pilot being fatigued.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that during the landing, he noticed that his approach path was taking the airplane towards an unexpected ditch short of the runway threshold. The pilot attempted to correct by increasing engine power; however, the airplane impacted on the berm short of the runway which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilot mistakenly set the flaps to the improper setting which had altered the airplane’s approach path and degraded aircraft performance. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. In addition, the pilot reported that he had not been sleeping well for the past several weeks and was likely fatigued and exhausted.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN26LA033 for the full record.