Cessna 182R accident near Alpine, Wyoming, November 18, 2005
On November 18, 2005 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182R, registered N9928H, was destroyed in an accident near Alpine, Wyoming. It was a public-use flight under public-use (government) rules. 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's intentional low level flight/maneuver. A contributing factor was his exercising poor judgment.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 18, 2005 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Alpine, Wyoming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182R · all 182Rs on the register
- Registration
- N9928H · no longer on the register · serial 18268119
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Public-use flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The civil air patrol (CAP) pilot was en route to administer a checkride to another CAP member. A state trooper had made a traffic stop on U.S. 26 at milepost 125. While he wrote the ticket, the violator saw an airplane fly past her position in a canyon following a river. She told the trooper what she had seen and said the airplane was below the highway and treetops. Shortly thereafter, the trooper located the inverted airplane submerged in the river. The trooper said there were no clouds in the sky and visibility was unlimited. Investigation revealed the airplane had struck and severed a 7/8-inch SSC (stainless steel conduit) EEIP (Extra Extra Improved Plow) braided cable. The cable was used by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to monitor river flow and depth. The length of the cable (from support to support) was 324 feet, and had a "breaking strength" of 80,000 pounds. It was anchored in concrete blocks approximately 30 feet above the river's surface. Slack placed the cable about 25 feet above the surface at midspan (lowest point). Evidence indicates the airplane struck the cable at about the 107 foot mark. The cable broke about 6 feet from the anchor on the other side of the river.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 4,700 hours in all; 39 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: February 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-U (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JAC Jackson WY at 3:43 pm
- Destination: AFO Afton WY
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,400 ft
- Temperature: 16°F (-9°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.48 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from JAC, 33 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
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.