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ATL02LA157

2002-07-02 · Brunswick, Georgia, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport SSI

Current FAA registration · N71785

Make / Model
CESSNA 182M
Year of manufacture
1969 · 33 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR O-470 SERIES (230 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19690414
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A9999C

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing roll, which resulted in an on-ground collision with a runway sign. A factor was the pilot's inadvertent application of the right brake.

Factual narrative

On July 2, 2002, at 1300 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 182M, N71785, registered to a private owner and operated by the pilot, collided with a runway marker during landing roll at Malcolm McKinnon Airport in Brunswick, Georgia. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The private pilot and passenger were not injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight departed DeKalb - Peachtree Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, at 1100. According to the pilot, during landing roll after touchdown on runway 4, he inadvertently applied the right brake when attempting to apply the right rudder to correct for wind conditions. The airplane veered to the right, rolled off the runway and struck a runway marker before directional control was regained. The pilot reported no mechanical defect or malfunction prior to the collision. Examination of the wreckage revealed the right horizontal stabilizer was damaged, the empennage displayed wrinkling from the rear window aft to the tail, and the airframe was buckled under the left horizontal stabilizer. During landing roll, the pilot inadvertently applied the right brake when attempting to apply the right rudder to correct for wind conditions. The airplane veered to the right, rolled off the runway and struck a runway marker before directional control was regained. The pilot reported no mechanical defect or malfunction prior to the collision. Examination of the wreckage revealed the right horizontal stabilizer was damaged, the empennage displayed wrinkling from the rear window aft to the tail, and the airframe was buckled under the left horizontal stabilizer. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2002_ATL02LA157.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.