No fatalities

Airplane Goes Up Embankment During Taxi After Landing

Prescott, AZ, United States

On August 20, 2011, a CESSNA 182A operated by John Olsen was involved in an aviation accident near Prescott, AZ. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control while taxiing. 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

After exiting the runway, the pilot attempted a right turn but the airplane continued straight up an embankment. No mechanical anomalies were found in the flight controls, braking, or steering systems.

Incident Overview

According to the pilot's written statement, the incident occurred after the airplane exited the runway and began taxiing to parking. When the pilot applied right rudder to execute a right turn, the airplane did not respond as expected and instead continued straight ahead, ascending an embankment.

Pilot Report

The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems with the flight controls during the event. The statement did not include any additional details regarding the circumstances leading up to the unintended movement.

FAA Inspection

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector responded to the site following the incident. The inspector observed that the airplane had come to rest on a 10-degree slope. Damage was noted to the horizontal stabilizer.

System Examination

Further inspection of the braking and steering systems was conducted by the FAA inspector. No mechanical anomalies were found in either system. The inspector's report indicated that the systems appeared to function normally.

Conclusion

The pilot's written account and the subsequent FAA inspection both indicate that the airplane's flight controls, brakes, and steering were mechanically sound at the time of the incident. The airplane's deviation from the intended direction during taxi resulted in it traveling up an embankment, causing damage to the horizontal stabilizer.

Contributing factors

Directional control — Not attained/maintainedPilot