Cessna 182S accident near Tecumseh, Oklahoma, July 27, 2013
On July 27, 2013, a Cessna 182S, registered N820HP, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Tecumseh, Oklahoma (University Of Oklahoma airport). It was a public-use flight (state) under public-use (government) rules. 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadvertent aerodynamic stall at a low altitude, which resulted in a loss of control and impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 2013
- Place
- Tecumseh, Oklahoma · University Of Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182S · all 182Ss on the register
- Registration
- N820HP · registry record · serial 18280115
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight (state) · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot, an Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) trooper, was dispatched to assist fellow OHP troopers and a local police department in the pursuit of an individual who was involved in a traffic accident. The driver fled the scene after the accident and was thought to be hiding in a wooded area. The pilot established radio contact with an OHP trooper on the ground; however, he was not able to contact the local police officers by radio. As the local police officers approached the location of the vehicle driver, they looked up at the airplane for further guidance. At that time, the pilot reduced the airplane's engine power and entered a slow descending turn over the vehicle driver's location, and the police officers on the ground began walking toward the individual. About the same time, the airplane's aerodynamic stall warning sounded. The left wing subsequently "stalled hard," and the airplane pitched nose-down and started to rotate to the left. The pilot was able to maintain directional control of the airplane and avoided a spin; however, he was not able to fully recover from the stall, and the airplane impacted the terrain. A postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction.
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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering defining event
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
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 › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,902 hours in all; 2,003 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 3,895 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 24, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,578 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 11, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 3,110 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-AB1A5 (piston); 346 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Oklahoma Department Of Public Safety
The flight
- Departed from: OUN Norman OK at 11:13 pm
- Destination: OUN Norman OK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 11:58 pm from TIK, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check 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.