No fatalities

Cessna 182P Nose-Over After Precautionary Landing in Missouri (N6KW)

Bolivar, MO, United States

On August 18, 2015, a CESSNA 182P (registration N6KW) was involved in an aviation accident near Bolivar, MO. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Total electrical failure due to a failed voltage regulator and the pilot’s failure to maintain a proper airspeed during a precautionary landing, which resulted in a loss of directional control and a runway excursion. 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

On August 18, 2015, a Cessna 182P experienced total electrical failure, diverted for a precautionary landing at Bolivar Municipal Airport, landed long and fast, struck a ditch, and nosed over. The pilot sustained minor injuries; the aircraft was substantially damaged.

Accident Details

On August 18, 2015, at approximately 1025 central daylight time, a Cessna 182P single-engine airplane, registration N6KW, departed the runway surface during a precautionary landing at Bolivar Municipal Airport (M17) in Bolivar, Missouri. The private-rated pilot sustained minor injuries, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was owned by a private individual and operated by the pilot as a personal flight under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed Joplin Regional Airport (JLN), Joplin, Missouri, and was destined for Spirit of St Louis Airport (SUS), St. Louis, Missouri.

Electrical Failure

During cruise flight, the airplane experienced a total electrical failure. The pilot elected to divert to M17 for a no-flap landing.

Landing and Impact

The pilot reported that the airspeed was too fast on landing, and she landed long on the airport's 4,000-foot runway. With the excess speed, she was unable to keep the airplane on the runway. The airplane went through the grass, struck a ditch, and nosed over, coming to rest inverted.

Wreckage Examination

Examination of the wreckage showed the lower forward fuselage crushed upward, the nose gear broken aft, the right wing bent downward at the root, and the right wing strut bent inward at mid span. The top 12 inches of the vertical stabilizer and rudder were bent to the left about 70 degrees. Flight control continuity was confirmed. The airplane's voltage regulator and alternator were retained for further examination.

Post-Accident Component Testing

The alternator was examined at Aerotech of Louisville, Incorporated, Louisville, Kentucky, on January 19, 2016. It passed all functional testing, and a disassembly inspection of its components showed no anomalies. The voltage regulator was examined at Lamar Technologies, Marysville, Washington, on January 27, 2016. The voltage regulator, part number VR600 and manufactured in June 1996, failed the functional test.

Pilot Information

The pilot reported 185 total flight hours, with 90 hours in the airplane make and model. No other anomalies were found with the airplane.

Contributing factors

DC regulator — FailurePilotAirspeed — Not attained/maintained