Cessna 182P accident near Atlantic Ocean, AO, March 1, 2012
On March 1, 2012 at about 4:02 pm local time, a Cessna 182P, registered N1338S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Atlantic Ocean, AO. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Undetermined; the airplane and pilot are missing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 1, 2012 · about 4:02 pm local time
- Place
- Atlantic Ocean, AO · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N1338S · no longer on the register · serial 18264901
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed with about 25 to 30 gallons of fuel on-board and proceeded to fly over the Atlantic Ocean. About 23 minutes after takeoff, while operating in visual flight rules conditions, the airplane was lost from radar about 34 nautical miles east-southeast of the departure airport. The pilot’s body and the airplane wreckage have not been located. The airplane’s maintenance records were reportedly in the airplane; as a result, information concerning the last annual inspection was not available. The airplane’s owner reported that the airplane “performed flawlessly” when he and another pilot flew it 2 days before the event flight. Multiple medications that had been prescribed for the pilot for the treatment of various conditions, including depression and anxiety, blood pressure, angina, high cholesterol, insomnia, and seizures were found during the subsequent investigation. The investigation considered the possibilities of 1) pilot impairment/incapacitation and 2) suicide; however, the lack of physical evidence (the airplane and pilot remain missing) made such a determination impossible.
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
- Missing aircraft during unknown defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Akro Attitudes INC
The flight
- Departed from: FA44 Boynton Beach FL at 3:39 pm
- Destination: FA44 Boynton Beach FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,800 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 4:30 pm from PBI, 33 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.
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.