Cessna 182G accident near Bridgewater, Virginia, March 27, 1985
On March 27, 1985 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Cessna 182G, registered N2318R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bridgewater, Virginia (Bridgewater Airpark airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 27, 1985 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Bridgewater, Virginia · Bridgewater Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182G · all 182Gs on the register
- Registration
- N2318R · registry record · serial 18255418
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DUE TO EXCESS ALTITUDE, DURING HIS 1ST APCH TO LAND, THE PLT EXECUTED A GO-AROUND. THE 2ND APCH RESULTED IN PROPER ALTITUDE, BUT HIGH AIRSPEED. CROSSWIND CONDITIONS & GUSTS UP TO 22 KTS EXISTED AT THE TIME & TOUCHDOWN OCCURRED APRX HALF WAY DOWN THE 2755 FT RWY. SKID MARKS ON THE RWY WERE LIGHT FOR ABOUT 550 FT. THE ACFT RAN OFF THE END OF THE RWY, CONTINUED ACROSS 50 FT OF GRASS OVERRUN AREA & DOWN A 10 TO 15 FT EMBANKMENT TO THE NORTH RIVER. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST INVERTED WITH THE NOSE & WINGS SUBMERGED IN WATER. THE OCCUPANTS EXTRICATED THEMSELVES UNAIDED.
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: 159 hours in all; 87 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 120 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 1985; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: W98 Chesterfield VA at 6:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 2,755 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 12 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from SHD, 7 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number BFO85LA030.