Cessna 182D accident near South Hill, Virginia, November 30, 1987
On November 30, 1987 at about 7:40 pm local time, a Cessna 182D, registered N8886X, was destroyed in an accident near South Hill, Virginia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. 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
- November 30, 1987 · about 7:40 pm local time
- Place
- South Hill, Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182D · all 182Ds on the register
- Registration
- N8886X · no longer on the register · serial 18253286
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT WAS ON THE THIRD LEG OF A TRIP BETWEEN TAMPA, FL AND SUSSEX, NJ. THE PREVIOUS TWO STOPS WERE MADE BECAUSE OF ADVERSE WX CONDITIONS. BEFORE THIS FLIGHT HE WAS ADVISED BY FSS THAT VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. HE FILED A VFR FLIGHT PLAN BUT DID NOT ACTIVATE IT. WITNESSES REPORTED THE ACFT WAS FLYING NORTHEAST BELOW A LOW OVERCAST. SOME WITNESSES SAID THE ACFT WAS FLYING IN CLOUDS. ONE WITNESS SAID THE CLOUDS WERE AT TREETOP LEVEL. THE ACFT REVERSED COURSE AND SOON AFTERWARDS IT DESCENDED TO THE GROUND. ONE WITNESS SAID THAT BEFORE THE ACFT DESCENDED IT PITCHED UP AND IT SPUN DURING THE DESCENT. THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND IN A REMOTE WOODED AREA.
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: 100 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FLO Florence SC at 10:53 pm
- Destination: Melfa VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: overcast at 100 ft; not recorded
- 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.
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.