No fatalities

Pilot Injured in Go-Around Attempt After Long Landing on Grass Runway

Martinsville, IN, United States

On May 22, 2009, a CESSNA 182E was involved in an aviation accident near Martinsville, IN. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to attain the proper touchdown point during landing and his delay in initiating a successful go-around, which resulted in a loss of airspeed and an aerodynamic stall. 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 landing at a private airport, a pilot aborted the landing after a long touchdown, attempted a go-around, but the airplane stalled and hit power lines, then struck vehicles in a parking lot. The pilot sustained serious injuries; the passenger minor injuries.

Landing and Go-Around

The pilot was landing at a private airport on a grass runway measuring 2,000 feet long by 90 feet wide. The flaps were positioned at 30 degrees. According to the pilot, he "landed long to avoid [a] dip in the field." After touchdown, the pilot felt the airspeed was too fast to stop and aborted the landing, initiating a go-around. He retracted the flaps and applied full engine power.

Stall and Impact

The pilot "jumped the airplane off the grass" in an attempt to clear power lines. During the climb, the airplane stalled, and the left wing impacted a set of power lines. Subsequently, the airplane impacted several vehicles in a used car parking lot and came to rest on top of three vehicles.

Injuries

The pilot sustained serious injuries, and the passenger sustained minor injuries.

Pilot's Recommendation

In the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1) Recommendation section, the pilot reported: "Land on numbers, or make go-around decision if that is not possible on short fields like this one..."

Contributing factors

Descent/approach/glide path — Not attained/maintainedAirspeed — Not attained/maintainedPilot