| Crash location | 42.195277°N, 89.097222°W |
| Nearest city | Rockford, IL
42.248354°N, 89.074272°W 3.9 miles away |
| Tail number | N96772 |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 12 Mar 2018 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 182 |
| Additional details: | None |
The pilot reported that during landing, about 20ft above ground level and about 80kts, he reached for his iPad. He took his eyes off the runway to grab the device that was located on the seat next to him and the airplane collided with the ground, in a nose down attitude. The pilot reported that he should not have taken his eyes off the runway during landing.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage stringers, longerons, and formers.
The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The pilot’s unnecessary action during the approach, which resulted in a hard landing.