Cessna T182T accident near St. Petersburg, Florida, November 20, 2014
On November 20, 2014 at about 9:30 pm local time, a 2006 Cessna T182T, registered N6004S, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) start-up) near St. Petersburg, Florida (Albert Whitted airport). It was a personal 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's failure to properly set the throttle prior to engine start, which resulted in a loss of control and collision with a hangar.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 20, 2014 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- St. Petersburg, Florida · Albert Whitted · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T182T, built 2006 · all T182Ts on the register
- Registration
- N6004S · registry record · serial T18208508
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had planned to depart on a local solo flight. He completed a preflight inspection of the airplane, which was parked outside of the pilot's hangar and pointed towards a set of hangars about 50 feet away. The pilot then primed the cylinders of the 335-horsepower engine with the throttle in the full open position, but forgot to retard the throttle to a one quarter position before starting the engine. When the engine started the airplane "leaped forward." The pilot quickly applied brakes, but the airplane accelerated across the taxiway and struck the opposing hangar and a parked airplane, which resulted in substantial damage to left wing. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that could have precluded normal 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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during standing (engine(s) start-up) defining event
- Ground collision
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › Power lever › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 5,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (waiver time limited special)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,090 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 4, 2014; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,112 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-AK1A (piston); 919 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SPG St Petersburg FL at 8:25 pm
- Destination: SPG St. Petersburg FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from SPG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on December 30, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Report and Record | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photograph #1: View of Left Side of Airplane in Pilot's Hangar (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photograph #2: View of Left Wing of Airplane at Accident Site (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.