Cessna 182P incident near Oshkosh, Wisconsin, July 31, 1982
On July 31, 1982 at about 12:39 pm local time, a Cessna 182P, registered N21254, suffered minor damage in an incident near Oshkosh, Wisconsin (Wittman Field). 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 1982 · about 12:39 pm local time
- Place
- Oshkosh, Wisconsin · Wittman Field
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N21254 · registry record · serial 18261519
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT ENTERED TRAFFIC PATTERN DOWNWIND AS NUMBER 3 FOR LANDING. TRAFFIC PATTERN SPACING REQUIRED A THREE MILE FINAL APPROACH OVER LAKE WINNEBAGO. THE PILOT STATED THAT THERE WERE TWO SLOWER AIRCRAFT PRECEEDING HIM AND THAT SPACING BETWEEN AIRCRAFT WAS DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN. FULL FLAPS AND CARBURETOR HEAT WAS APPLIED AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE ENGINE "STARTED RUNNING ROUGH". FULL THROTTLE WAS APPLIED BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO TURN OUT OF THE PATTERN AND "THE AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE DECREASED QUICKLY". THE PILOT THEN STALLED THE AIRCRAFT INTO THE LAKE. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE DISCLOSED NO MALFUNCTION TO THE ENGINE 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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 378 hours in all; 259 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 327 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,728 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Covington KY at 4:58 am
- Destination: Oshkosh WI
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 27, 5,215 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:45 am from GRB, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N21254 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.