Cessna 182RG accident near Highland, North Carolina, May 22, 1990
On May 22, 1990 at about 7:10 pm local time, a Cessna 182RG, registered N55AG, was destroyed in an accident near Highland, North Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S ATTEMPTED VFR FLIGHT IN IMC. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT ARE THE PILOT'S INACCURATE WEATHER EVALUATION AND POOR IN FLIGHT DECISION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 1990 · about 7:10 pm local time
- Place
- Highland, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182RG · all 182RGs on the register
- Registration
- N55AG · registry record · serial RG18200076
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT FILED A FLIGHT PLAN INTO AN AIRPORT WITHOUT AN INSTRUMENT PROCEDURE. WEATHER CONDITIONS AROUND THE AIRPORT WERE NOT VISUAL, AND THE HIGH TERRAIN WAS OBSCURED BY CLOUDS. THE PILOT CANCELED HIS INSTRUMENT CLEARANCE AND ATTEMPTED A VISUAL ENTRY. HE COLLIDED WITH A 4200 FOOT RIDGE 15 MILES FROM THE DESTINATION AIRPORT. WEATHER AT THE AIRPORT WAS 2000 FEET WITH 7 MILES VISIBILITY. THE FIELD ELEVATION IS 2020 FEET. THE AIRPLANE CRASHED INTO THE ROCKY FACE OF THE MOUNTAIN AND WAS RESTRAINED FROM SLIDING DOWN SLOPE BY VEGETATION. THE WRECKAGE BURNED AND WAS LOCATED 6 DAYS AFTER THE CRASH. WRECKAGE EXAMINATION FAILED TO REVEAL MECHANICAL PROBLEMS.
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 single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all; 1,975 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 20,000 as pilot in command; 5,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,975 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 1989; 165 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-J3C5D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: GSO Greensboro NC at 5:48 pm
- Destination: 1A5 Franklin NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,000 ft; scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N55AG the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.