Cessna 182 accident near Winfield, Texas, June 24, 2020
On June 24, 2020 at about 7:01 pm local time, a 1981 Cessna 182, registered N958HP, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Winfield, Texas. It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The total loss of engine power due to the pilot’s improper fuel management, which led to fuel starvation. Contributing to the accident was the low altitude at which the loss of engine power occurred.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 24, 2020 · about 7:01 pm local time
- Place
- Winfield, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 R, built 1981 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N958HP · no longer on the register · serial 18267923
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
About 4.1 hours after the pilot’s departure to conduct a pipeline patrol flight, the engine began to “sputter” and “run rough” while at an altitude about 850 ft above the ground. The pilot was unable to restore engine power by “switching fuel tanks a couple of times” and selecting a full-rich fuel mixture. The engine “surged” between idle and a high rpm a couple of times before it lost all power. The pilot located an open field for a forced landing, but the airplane was unable to stop before it collided with a fence and trees that bordered the field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. Postaccident examination revealed that the right-wing fuel tank was breached during impact and contained about 1 gallon of fuel. The left-wing fuel tank remained intact and contained about 1 gallon of fuel. The cockpit fuel selector lever was found in the BOTH position; however, the shaft between the cockpit fuel selector lever and the fuel selector valve disconnected during impact. Testing of the fuel selector valve established that fuel from the left fuel tank was being used at the time of the accident and confirmed normal valve operation in all selectable positions. The pilot reported that the flight departed with full fuel tanks (88 gallons usable) and was unsure of the fuel selector position before the engine began to run rough. Based on the reported fuel consumption rate of 10 to 11 gallons per hour, the airplane would have used about one-half of its fuel capacity when the loss of engine power occurred after 4.1 hours of flight. It is likely that the pilot departed with the fuel selector valve positioned to an individual fuel tank, instead of using fuel simultaneously from both tanks, which resulted in fuel starvation and the loss of engine power. Additionally, the low altitude at which the loss of engine power occurred significantly reduced the amount of time available to the pilot to troubleshoot and restore engine power before the forced landing.
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 (total) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Fuel starvation during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,709.2 hours in all; 3,742.6 in this make and model; 266 in the last 90 days; 139.3 in the last 30 days; 4,538.7 as pilot in command; 856.2 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 19, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 19,420.1 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 21, 2020; 56 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-U18B (piston); 56 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CUH Cushing OK at 2:53 pm
- Destination: OSA Mount Pleasant TX
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,800 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.91 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from KOSA, 10 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KOSA 241855Z AUTO 00000KT 7SM SCT038 31/21 A2991 RMK AO1 T03110207=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
13 documents, released by the NTSB on March 22, 2023. 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 | Memorandum of Conversation (Lillian Jane Neal) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | ADS-B Plot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | ADS-B Data | data file | Download |
| 5 | Operator Flight Tracking Data | data file | Download |
| 6 | Memorandum of Conversation (Darren Pittacora) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Wreckage Examination Summary | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Airframe Logbook (Excerpts) | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Engine Logbook (Excerpts) | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 10 | Propeller Logbook (Excerpts) | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 11 | Fuel Invoice Email | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 12 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 13 | Weather Reports | 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.
Other NTSB records under N958HP the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.