Cessna 182M accident near Harlan, Kentucky, July 22, 1984
On July 22, 1984 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182M, registered N91725, was substantially damaged in an accident near Harlan, Kentucky (Tucker-Guthrie Mem airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 3 others were unhurt. 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
- July 22, 1984 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Harlan, Kentucky · Tucker-Guthrie Mem · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182M · all 182Ms on the register
- Registration
- N91725 · no longer on the register · serial 18259885
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AS THE ACFT ACCELERATED FOR TAKEOFF THE PILOT'S SEAT SLID AFT AND HE WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE ACFT WENT OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RWY AND NOSED OVER WHEN IT ROLLED THROUGH HIGH GRASS. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT THE SEAT WAS LOCKED IN PLACE PRIOR TO TAXI. INVESTIGATORS VISUAL AND FUNCTIONAL CHECK OF THE SEAT REVEALED NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 163 hours in all; 82 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 115 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,025 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 1984; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: I35 Harlan KY at 8:00 pm
- Destination: C48 Sandwich IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 2,700 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from LOZ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
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.