Cessna 182 accident near Waynesboro, Virginia, September 16, 1984
On September 16, 1984 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Cessna 182, registered N3257U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Waynesboro, Virginia (Waynesboro airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. 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
- September 16, 1984 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Waynesboro, Virginia · Waynesboro · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N3257U · no longer on the register · serial 18254657
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED A DOWNDRAFT AND WAS FORCED DOWN SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. PILOT SUGGESTED THAT HE MAY HAVE ALSO ENCOUNTERED POSSIBLE WIND SHEAR.
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
- Flight time: 1,700 hours in all; 15 in the last 90 days; 1,600 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,539 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 15, 1984
- Maximum gross weight: 1,540 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-47O LCR (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Waynesboro VA at 8:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 2,009 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 6:00 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.