Cessna 182 N3469R accident near Wolf Point, Montana

Probable cause

The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack while maneuvering to land, which resulted in an accelerated aerodynamic stall and subsequent loss of control.

NTSB analysis

The pilot and passenger planned to visit a farm by landing on an adjacent dirt road. The pilot had previously been to the farm but had never flown there. The owner of the farm watched as the pilot crossed over the road and made a left turn to parallel the road. The airplane then began another left turn, consistent with a left base-to-final turn, during which the airplane continued past the road before it entered a sharp turn and descended into terrain. Upon impact, the airplane burst into flames.

A postaccident examination revealed no anomalies that that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilot exceeding the airplane’s critical angle of attack while maneuvering for landing on the road, resulting in an accelerated stall, loss of control, and impact with terrain.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR19FA209 for the full record.