Cessna 182 accident near Hollywood, Florida, September 18, 2020
On September 18, 2020 at about 5:33 pm local time, a 2000 Cessna 182, registered N234ME, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Hollywood, Florida (North Perry airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during a crosswind takeoff, which resulted in a collision with airport lights and a sign.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 18, 2020 · about 5:33 pm local time
- Place
- Hollywood, Florida · North Perry · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 S, built 2000 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N234ME · registry record · serial 18280751
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was departing on a cross country flight. Immediately after liftoff the nose of the airplane veered left. The pilot attempted to correct for the crosswind but was unsuccessful and the airplane struck runway lights and a sign resulting in substantial damage to the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would 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 in flight during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Response/compensation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Runway/taxi/approach light › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,320 hours in all; 329 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 1,320 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 31, 2019
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,617.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 28, 2020; 50.2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,348 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 SER (piston); 1,617 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HWO Hollywood FL at 5:33 pm
- Destination: AND Anderson SC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28L, 3,255 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,800 ft; scat at 2,100 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 5:35 pm from KHWO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on June 9, 2021. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | 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.
Other NTSB records under N234ME 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.