Cessna 182K accident near Branson West, Missouri, October 30, 2011
On October 30, 2011 at about 4:11 pm local time, a Cessna 182K, registered N2893R, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Branson West, Missouri (Branson West Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to ensure that his seat was in a locked position before takeoff, which resulted in the seat sliding rearward and the subsequent loss of directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 30, 2011 · about 4:11 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Branson West, Missouri · Branson West Municipal Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182K · all 182Ks on the register
- Registration
- N2893R · no longer on the register · serial 18258493
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the pilot seat released and slid rearward during the takeoff roll. He said that he reduced engine power and could still reach the rudder pedals but could not actuate the brakes. Subsequently, the airplane went off the runway and struck a drainage ditch. The airplane's seat mechanism was the subject of a 2011 Airworthiness Directive, which had been complied with during the airplane's most recent annual inspection. Postaccident examination of the seat mechanism revealed no anomalies. Based on the available evidence, it is likely that the pilot failed to ensure that his seat was in a locked position before takeoff, which allowed it to slide rearward during the takeoff roll.
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 takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Fuselage › Seat/cargo attach fitting › Incorrect use/operation other cases naming the airframe structure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,581 hours in all; 1,100 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,581 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 1, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,362 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 12, 2011
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Brigman Productions INC
The flight
- Departed from: FWB Branson West MO
- Destination: HUT Hutchinson KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 3:45 pm from KBBG, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on April 23, 2013. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Maintenance Record Excerpts | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation with FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N2893R: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Cessna 182 Skylane 11,834 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,677 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES 12,780 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Branson West Muni/Emerson Field · nearest airport
- Hutchinson Regional · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Missouri 1,640 since 1982 · 219 in the last ten years
- Missouri 5,819 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN12LA056.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.