No fatalities

Hard Landing and Go-Around During Landing Results in Stall and Postaccident Fire

Marion, IN, United States

On May 5, 2019, a Cessna 182 Q was involved in an aviation accident near Marion, IN. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's improper trim setting and his exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during a go-around, which resulted in 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, the airplane landed hard and bounced. The pilot initiated a go-around, but the nose pitched up sharply. The right wing stalled, and the airplane impacted the ground, resulting in a postaccident fire that destroyed the airplane.

Incident Summary

The pilot reported that during landing, the airplane landed hard and bounced. He decided to execute a go-around and added full power, but the nose pitched up sharply. As he attempted to lower the nose, the airspeed decreased, and he lost lift on the right side. Pushing forward on the control yoke, the airplane drifted right, and the right wing aerodynamically stalled. The airplane impacted the ground next to a taxiway and spun around. A passenger observed a fire in front of the firewall, and all occupants exited the airplane. The airplane was subsequently consumed by a postaccident fire and was destroyed.

Pilot Report and Inspection Findings

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector reported that the pilot stated he had used nose-up trim during the approach. During the go-around, the pilot attempted to use the electric trim to trim nose down. When the airplane nosed up, the pilot tried to lower the nose but hesitated due to the close ground proximity and retracted the flaps. The FAA inspector examined the airplane and noted that the trim setting was "just short of full nose up trim." The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

Capability exceededIncorrect use/operationPilot