No fatalities

Airplane Overruns Runway After Landing in Changing Wind Conditions

Clarksville, TN, United States

On May 6, 2018, a CESSNA 182 R operated by CIVIL AIR PATROL INC was involved in an aviation accident near Clarksville, TN. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s decision to land with a tailwind in variable crosswind and downdraft and updraft conditions on a wet runway, which resulted in a runway overrun. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 17 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

During a landing in deteriorating weather with variable crosswind and gusting tailwind, the airplane overran the runway, struck a fence, and sustained substantial damage to the left-wing spar.

Incident Description

According to the pilot, during the previous approach the weather began to deteriorate and the airplane encountered updrafts and downdrafts. The pilot noticed rain and aborted the landing. On the next approach, the pilot reported a variable crosswind with continued updrafts and downdrafts. During the landing roll, the wind direction may have shifted to a tailwind, and the brakes did not have the normal stopping effect. The airplane overran the runway and struck a fence before coming to rest on a public road.

Weather Conditions

Ten minutes prior to the accident, the METAR at the airport reported wind from 260° at 9 knots with lightning in the distance from the west to northeast. About the time of the accident, the wind was from 350° at 24 knots, gusting to 33 knots, with a peak wind from 350° at 33 knots and lightning in the distance from the west to northeast. Ten minutes after the accident, the wind was reported as being from 10° at 20 knots and gusting to 31 knots, with a peak wind from 350° at 33 knots and shifting, with lightning in all quadrants, thunderstorms, and light rain. The pilot landed on runway 23.

Aircraft Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing spar.

Pilot Report

The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

Causes

Pilot

Other contributing factors

Effect on operationContributed to outcome