Cessna 180J accident near Casper, Wyoming, March 18, 1982
On March 18, 1982 at about 9:40 pm local time, a Cessna 180J, registered N317PL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Casper, Wyoming (Natrona County Int'L airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. 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 accident. 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
- March 18, 1982 · about 9:40 pm local time
- Place
- Casper, Wyoming · Natrona County Int'L · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180J · all 180Js on the register
- Registration
- N317PL · no longer on the register · serial 18052483
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER ARRIVING, THE PILOT LANDED ON RUNWAY 07 IN VARIABLE WIND CONDITIONS WITH GUSTS TO 20 KNOTS. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, HE ENCOUNTERED A CROSSWIND GUST, BECAME AIRBORNE, AND BALLOONED ABOUT 3 FT. HE ADDED A SLIGHT AMOUNT OF POWER TO CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT AND MAKE A 3 POINT LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN FIRMLY, BOUNCED, AND BEGAN TO DRIFT TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT INITIATED A GO-AROUND, BUT REPORTEDLY, GUSTY WINDS PICKED UP THE RIGHT WING. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE GROUND AND THE AIRCRAFT CARTWHEELED. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS APPROXIMATELY 6000 FT.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,752 hours in all; 184 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 4,050 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,032 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470R (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Pete Lien And Sons INC.
The flight
- Departed from: SD03 Rapid City SD at 1:10 pm
- Destination: Casper WY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 8,681 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.