Cessna 182 accident near Odessa, Texas, August 20, 2020
On August 20, 2020 at about 2:50 pm local time, a 1959 Cessna 182, registered N710NA, was destroyed in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Odessa, Texas (Odessa Airport-Schlemeyer). 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 maintain directional control of the airplane during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 20, 2020 · about 2:50 pm local time
- Place
- Odessa, Texas · Odessa Airport-Schlemeyer · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 B, built 1959 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N710NA · registry record · serial 52297
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll out, the airplane swerved left, so he added control inputs to stop the swerve. The airplane continued to turn 300°, experienced a ground loop, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the propeller struck the ground. A small fire erupted near the fuel selector which the pilot was unable to extinguish. The airplane was destroyed after the fire consumed most of the airplane. There were no reports of any pre-accident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 landing (landing roll) defining event
- Fire/smoke (post-impact) during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,530 hours in all; 799 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 1,439 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 31, 2020
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,681.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 4, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 2,348 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: KGLE Gainesville TX at 12:10 pm
- Destination: ODO Odessa TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 5,003 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from KODO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on October 9, 2020. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Police Photos | PDF, 17 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.