Cessna 182P accident near Sugar Land, Texas, August 24, 2009
On August 24, 2009 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182P, registered N1988M, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) start-up) near Sugar Land, Texas (Sugar Land Regional Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to control the airplane during engine startup, and his failure to maintain clearance from other objects.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 2009 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sugar Land, Texas · Sugar Land Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N1988M · registry record · serial 18264517
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the written statement provided by the pilot, he experienced an unexpected power surge during the engine start. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the airplane surged forward and the pilot was not able to arrest the forward travel. The pilot reported that he was concerned about impacting an adjacent hanger and turned the airplane left while reducing power. The airplane impacted an adjacent Piper PA-30 airplane. According to the FAA a 30-inch span of the leading edge of the right wing was crushed aft bending two ribs. An examination of the airplane, engine, and brakes revealed no anomalies.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during standing (engine(s) start-up) defining event
- Ground collision during standing (engine(s) start-up)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Surface speed/braking › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Aircraft › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 4,700 hours in all; 129 in this make and model; 24 in the last 30 days; 4,550 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,379 hours
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SGR Sugerland TX
- Destination: SGR Sugerland TX
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 2:58 pm from KSRG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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 CEN09CA547.