Cessna 180 accident near Grand Bay, Alabama, August 15, 1982
On August 15, 1982, a Cessna 180, registered N42GC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grand Bay, Alabama (Hatchett Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). The NTSB record does not give the injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 15, 1982
- Place
- Grand Bay, Alabama · Hatchett Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N42GC · registry record · serial 31732
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
REPORTEDLY, THE PILOT WAS PREPARING TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT, BUT THE BATTERY WAS DEAD, SO HE HAND PROPPED THE ENGINE TO START IT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S FATHER, THE AIRCRAFT WAS LEFT UNATTENDED WITH THE ENGINE OPERATING AT IDLE SPEED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS RUNNING THE ENGINE TO CHECK FOR OIL LEAKS WHEN A BYSTANDER REACHED IN THE COCKPIT AND ADVANCED THE THROTTLE ENOUGH TO MOVE THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN HIT A FENCE AND A DITCH AND NOSED OVER. REPORTEDLY, THE BYSTANDER DISAPPEARED FROM THE SCENE. ON THE SAME DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, A PERSON WAS ADMITTED TO A NEARBY HOSPITAL WITH MINOR INJURIES. THE PATIENT REPORTED THAT HIS LOWER RIGHT LEG WAS RUN OVER BY AN AIRCRAFT WHEEL AND HE RECEIVED ABRASIONS TO THE LEFT ARM FROM A PROPELLER STRIKE.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine
- Flight time: 9,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,567 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Grand Bay AL at 7:00 pm
- Destination: Grand Bay AL
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 0, 2,600 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 194°F (90°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.