Cessna 182 accident near Baxterville, Mississippi, March 14, 2020
On March 14, 2020 at about 6:15 pm local time, a 1972 Cessna 182, registered N20847, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Baxterville, Mississippi. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the No. 1 cylinder intake valve due to inadequate valve seating.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 14, 2020 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Baxterville, Mississippi · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 P, built 1972 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N20847 · no longer on the register · serial 18261254
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and passenger were conducting a personal flight when the engine experienced a partial loss of power. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude and made a forced landing to a road. During the forced landing, while turning right to stay on the road, the airplane ground looped and collided with trees, sustaining substantial damage. Examination of the engine revealed that a portion of the No. 1 cylinder valve head was fractured due to the inward propagation of a radial rim fracture, and the initiation and propagation of a chordal fracture in the filet area perpendicular to the axis of the stem. The initial crack developed at the rim and propagated inward toward the center of the valve head as a radial rim crack. When the crack front reached the fillet region of the head, a second crack initiated and propagated in fatigue as a chordal fracture. A final overstress fracture occurred near the rim. This type of failure is likely due to cyclic uneven expansion and contraction stress cracks that propagate inward, as a result of inadequate valve seating. The engine maintenance records showed that a repaired No. 1 cylinder was installed on May 9, 2014. The partial maintenance release stated that the cylinder repair process included refaced valves and three angle cut valve seats. There were no other entries related to the No. 1 cylinder. The engine had accumulated about 598 hours since the cylinder was installed. Annual inspections were completed every year after this cylinder installation.
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 engine power (partial) during enroute defining event
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,887 hours in all; 88 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 1,887 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 4, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,912.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 22, 2019; 43.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,348 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (116 (piston); 1,737 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0R0 Columbia MS at 6:00 pm
- Destination: MJD Picayune MS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,100 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 12:55 pm from KBXA, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on March 28, 2022. 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 | Passenger Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Examination Summary | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Materials Laboratory Factual Report | PDF, 13 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Valve Technical Information | PDF, 34 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Photos | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Calculated Engine and Airframe Times | 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.
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.