Cessna 182F accident near Ben Wheeler, Texas, March 30, 2024
On March 30, 2024 at about 6:10 pm local time, a 1963 Cessna 182F, registered N3322U, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Ben Wheeler, Texas (Vaca Moo Airport). 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 control while landing in a gusting wind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 30, 2024 · about 6:10 pm local time
- Place
- Ben Wheeler, Texas · Vaca Moo Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182F, built 1963 · all 182Fs on the register
- Registration
- N3322U · registry record · serial 18254722
- 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 he was performing a practice soft field landing on a grass runway. During the landing flare, the wind increased, the airplane drifted to the left, and the indicated airspeed decreased by 10 mph. The pilot attempted to correct for the deviation when the airplane developed an excessive sink rate and landed hard on the sand adjacent to the left edge of the runway. The nose landing gear and propeller dug into the sand, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the left aileron, the rudder, the vertical stabilizer, and the right wing strut. Wind at the time of the accident was 210° at 11 knots gusting to 17 knots. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations.
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
- Other weather encounter during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Crosswind correction › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 12,718 hours in all; 3,505 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 8,631 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 24, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,317.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 9, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R-81-B (piston); 7 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TA37 Ben Wheeler TX at 5:40 pm
- Destination: TA37 Ben Wheeler TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,480 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 11 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,300 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.99 inHg
- Observation at 1:00 pm from KTYR, 16 miles away
Weather report (METAR): 301800Z AUTO 21011G17KT 10SM SCT033 24/16 A2999 RMK T02400160
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 June 28, 2024. 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 | Photo Array | PDF, 4 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.