This October 2007 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Aircraft: Cessna 182.
Location: Middlefield, Ohio.
Injuries: None.
Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: A private pilot was practicing short field landings on an asphalt 3,500-foot runway. There was a flight instructor on board. According to both the pilot receiving instruction and the CFI, the airplane was a few feet short of the runway and in a near level attitude when there was a sudden loss of lift caused by mechanical turbulence from some nearby trees. The airplane came down hard in uneven terrain.
Probable cause: The proper touchdown point not obtained by the pilot and the inadequate supervision by the instructor during landing. A contributing factor was the rough terrain encountered during landing.
