No fatalities

Private Pilot's Landing Excursion Results in Collision with Taxiway Sign

Rangely, CO, United States

On April 22, 2009, a CESSNA 182T operated by GLOBAL LEASE FINANCE LLC was involved in an aviation accident near Rangely, CO. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control while landing with a crosswind. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

During an unscheduled landing, a private pilot's single-engine airplane encountered a light crosswind, drifted left after bouncing, and struck a taxiway sign. No mechanical issues were reported.

Incident Overview

A private pilot was conducting a cross-country flight in a single-engine airplane when he decided to make an unscheduled stop at an airport for personal reasons. During the landing approach, when the airplane was approximately 20 feet above the ground, it encountered a light crosswind from the right. The pilot attempted to compensate for the drift, but the airplane continued to move left.

Sequence of Events

The airplane contacted the runway and bounced three times before departing the left side of the runway. It subsequently collided with a taxiway identifier sign. The airplane came to an abrupt stop but remained upright. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane prior to or during the incident.

Pilot Report

According to the pilot, the airplane experienced no mechanical malfunctions. The incident occurred solely due to the handling of the crosswind condition during the landing flare and touchdown.

Aircraft and Pilot Information

The aircraft was a single-engine airplane operated by a private pilot. No further details about the aircraft type, registration, or pilot experience were provided in the source. No injuries were reported, and the airplane sustained damage from the collision with the taxiway sign.

Contributing factors

Causes

Pilot

Other contributing factors

Response/compensation