Probable cause
The pilot's delayed decision to abort the landing on a wet grass runway and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action. Contributing to the accident was the wet runway which degraded braking.
NTSB analysis
The pilot receiving instruction reported that, during a landing on a high altitude, grass runway, sprinklers "doused the windscreen to the point we really couldn't see." He applied the brakes, but they were "ineffective" and the airplane slid and was not decelerating, he elected to abort the landing. During the go around, the airplane impacted the perimeter fence at the end of the runway and shortly after "scraped the top of a ridge." The airplane was able to maintain flight and landed at a nearby airstrip without further incident.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and horizontal stabilizer.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for GAA19CA423 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Jul 16, 2019
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Salmon, Idaho
- Nearest airport
- Flying B Ranch Landing Strip (12ID)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Cessna 182
- N-number
- N4876N
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1979
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.