What happened
On June 23, 2025, at approximately 09:30 EDT, a Cessna R182, registration N262AL, was involved in an accident near Milton, Florida. The aircraft, operated by the Dale County Sheriff's Office, was performing a Part 91 positioning flight from Dothan Regional Airport (DHN) to J-22 Ranch Airport (16FL).
After arriving at 16FL for the installation of a new emergency locator transmitter battery, the pilot departed for the return flight to Dothan. The pilot reported that preflight inspections and engine runups were normal. During the takeoff from runway 36, a 2,895-foot turf runway, the pilot attempted a short-field takeoff. After rotation and the retraction of the landing gear, the engine began a rapid loss of power while the aircraft was approximately 75 feet above the runway.
While the engine retained partial power, it was insufficient to maintain altitude. The pilot attempted to troubleshoot the engine by checking the throttle and mixture, but the low altitude limited the time available for corrective action. The aircraft subsequently landed off the departure end of the runway, slightly east of the centerline. The pilot maintained a nose-up attitude during the final approach and made a hard landing on level terrain.
Damage
The impact caused the right main landing gear to collapse, and the aircraft skidded to a stop. The accident resulted in substantial damage to the airframe, including buckling of the wings and fuselage, and the right wingtip was crushed upwards. The three-blade metal propeller exhibited curling on the outer 12 inches of the blades. At the time of takeoff, the aircraft was carrying 65 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel.
There were no injuries to the airline transport pilot or the pilot-rated passenger.