Cessna 182P accident near Bluefield, West Virginia, April 15, 1983
On April 15, 1983 at about 4:34 pm local time, a Cessna 182P, registered N7353S, was destroyed in an accident near Bluefield, West Virginia (Mercer County airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- April 15, 1983 · about 4:34 pm local time
- Place
- Bluefield, West Virginia · Mercer County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N7353S · no longer on the register · serial 18265144
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE BEGAN AN ILS APPROACH TO THE MERCER COUNTY ARPT. HE STATED THAT HE PLANNED TO DESCEND TO 3200 FT MSL, THEN EXECUTE A MISSED APPROACH & RETURN TO ABINGTON, VA. THE ARPT ELEVATION WAS 2857 FT MSL. HE STATED THAT HE REMEMBERED GLANCING AT THE ALTIMETER AT 3200 FT, THAT HE LOOKED FOR THE RWY ENVIRONMENT, AND THAT HE WAS PREPARING TO EXECUTE THE MISSED APPROACH, WHEN THE ACFT SUDDENLY HIT TREES & CRASHED. THE IMPACT OCCURRED APRX 1/2 MI FROM THE APPROACH END OF RWY 23. THE WEATHER WAS: 100 FT OBSCURED, VISIBILITY 1/2 MI WITH FOG, TEMP 42 DEG, WIND FROM 280 DEG AT 5 KTS. THE ILS & VORTAC FACILITIES WERE FOUND TO BE OPERATIONAL. THE ACFT NAVCOMM UNIT, GLIDE SLOPE RECEIVER & COURSE INDICATOR HEAD WERE BENCH CHECKED & FOUND TO BE WITHIN TOLERANCES. THE ALTIMETER WAS TESTED & SHOWED A CONSIDERABLE ERROR AT EACH TEST POINT; BUT WAS NOT DISASSEMBLED TO DETERMINE IF INTERIM DAMAGE HAD OCCURRED.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,536 hours in all; 71 in this make and model; 144 in the last 90 days; 2,355 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,270 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 12, 1982; 96 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-S (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 6A8 Abingdon VA at 4:01 pm
- Destination: BLF Bluefield WV
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 23, 4,742 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 5 knots
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:33 pm from BLF, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.