- Date
- May 4, 1991, 14:48 local (19:48 UTC)
- Place
- Fentress, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6172BCessna 182A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910504063219A
- Case key
- 23256
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The improper major modification of the airplane by the operator, and the resultant separation of the door, window and windshield. A factor was the installation of a non approved jump door.
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.
Analysis
Subsequent to the departure of the skydivers, the airplane entered a spiral descent. The jump door, not the sky motive jump door listed on the airplane's form 337, which had been approved by an FAA inspector, entered a flutter condition. The pilot door, windshield and pilot door window separated during the descent. This flutter condition and separation of components resulted in the pilot being unable to control the airplane. Impact occurred in a 20 to 30 degree nose low attitude in approximately a 65 degree left angle of bank.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6172B
- Reported as
- Cessna 182A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 34172
- Engine
- Continental O-470-L, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Sky Dive San Marcos, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Sky Dive San Marcos, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Airport
- NONE · Fentress Airpark
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
- 27
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 503 total · 300 in this make and model · 503 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 135° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N6172B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.