FTW82FRG30

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 182E · Armstrong, TX · May 10, 1982

Accident · FatalFinal report
Date
May 9, 1982, 21:00 local (May 10, 1982, 03:00 UTC)
Place
Armstrong, TX
Injuries
2 fatal
Damage
Destroyed
Phase of flight
Enroute
Aircraft
N9330XCessna 182E
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
Status
Completed · report May 9, 1983
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19820509015779A
Case key
69808

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

On this page

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

In flight encounter with weatherCruise - normal
Weather condition - low ceilingFactor
Loss of control - in flightCruise - normal
Light condition - dark nightFactor
Aircraft handling - uncontrolledPilot in commandCause
Spatial disorientationPilot in commandCause
Lack of total instrument timePilot in commandFactor
In flight collision with terrain/waterDescent - uncontrolled

Analysis

Before taking off, the pilot reviewed the weather in person at the college station fss, but declined an official weather briefing. He departed in good VFR conditions and flew into an area of known and forcasted low ceilings. While en route, his flight path was over an uninhabited ranch land between kingsville and brownsville, TX. By this time, it was a dark night without any visible ground references. At 2056 CDT, the pilot contacted the alice fss and requested the brownsville weather. The 1845 CDT weather (1300 ft overcast) was provided and the pilot was advised that a new weather sequence would be available at 2105 CDT. At 2105, the fss tried to call the pilot, but there was no reply. On 5/16/82, the plane was found where it had crashed in a steep dive with the right wing low. The 2055 CDT kingsville weather was: 1500 ft scattered, 2000 ft overcast, visbiility 7 miles. The 0854 CDT brownsville weather was: 1000 ft overcast, visibility 7 miles.

Aircraft

Registration
N9330X
Reported as
Cessna 182E
Category
Airplane
Serial number
18253730
Engine
Continental O-470-R, 265 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Destroyed
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Jack L. Amos
Registered owner
Jack L. Amos
Departed
College Station, TX
Destination
Brownsville, TX

Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
59
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Flight hours
1,600 total

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
Visibility
7 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
1,500 ft broken
Observed at
NQI

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.