No fatalities

Pilot Reports Sun Glare During Backcountry Landing Leading to Nose-Over

Barrow, AK, United States

On September 3, 2016, a CESSNA 182 D was involved in an aviation accident near Barrow, AK. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion, a nose over, and substantial damage to the right wing strut and fuselage. 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 flare on a backcountry airstrip, sun glare obscured forward vision. As pilot initiated go-around, wheels touched down, veering left. Left wheel struck soft ground, causing nose-over and substantial damage.

Incident Overview

A pilot reported that during the landing flare on a backcountry airstrip, forward visual sight was lost due to sun glare. The pilot indicated that as he was about to perform a go-around, the wheels touched down, and the airplane veered off the airstrip to the left. During the subsequent runway excursion, the left wheel encountered a soft spot, causing the airplane to nose over. This resulted in substantial damage to the right wing strut and fuselage.

Pilot Report

The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

Damage

The accident resulted in substantial damage to the right wing strut and fuselage. No other damage details were provided.

Investigation

No further analysis or causal factors are available from the source. The report solely documents the pilot's account of events and the condition of the aircraft.

Contributing factors

Causes

Directional control — Not attained/maintainedPilot

Other contributing factors

Effect on personnelContributed to outcome