Cessna 182A accident near Warrenton, Virginia, October 10, 2011
On October 10, 2011 at about 1:45 pm local time, a Cessna 182A, registered N6324B, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Warrenton, Virginia. It was a skydiving 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 did not ensure that the forward door latch was secured prior to initiating the descent.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 10, 2011 · about 1:45 pm local time
- Place
- Warrenton, Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182A · all 182As on the register
- Registration
- N6324B · no longer on the register · serial 34224
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Skydiving flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he was descending the airplane from an altitude of 8,000 feet after releasing skydivers. During the descent, at an altitude of about 3,000 feet, the airplane's door opened and contacted the underside of the wing. The pilot slowed the airplane and attempted to close the door but noticed that the door had warped and that the window was missing. A postflight examination of the airplane revealed that the window had separated from the door in flight and contacted the right horizontal stabilizer, resulting in substantial damage. The door had been modified with a top hinge for skydiving operations and was closed by means of two pin-type latches that were inserted into holes located on both the forward and aft sides of the door frame. The aft pin hole was torn, indicative of its latch pin having been inserted at the time of the door opening; however, the forward pin hole exhibited no damage.
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
- Part(s) separation from AC during enroute (descent) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Doors › Passenger/crew doors › Incorrect use/operation
- Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Doors › Passenger/crew doors › Damaged/degraded
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 532 hours in all; 150 in this make and model
- Last flight review: April 13, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,520 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 7, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Skydive Maple Grove Inc
The flight
- Departed from: 7VG0 Warrenton VA at 1:30 pm
- Destination: 7VG0 Warrenton VA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.31 inHg
- Observation at 1:52 pm from IAD, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N6324B 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.