Cessna 182 accident near Stowe, Pennsylvania, December 29, 2020
On December 29, 2020 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1975 Cessna 182, registered N6327F, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Stowe, Pennsylvania (Pottstown Muni 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 loss of directional control while landing in a gusty crosswind, which resulted in a runway excursion and subsequent impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 29, 2020 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Stowe, Pennsylvania · Pottstown Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 P, built 1975 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N6327F · no longer on the register · serial 18264160
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was landing the tricycle landing gear equipped airplane with a significant gusting right crosswind. After establishing the airplane on a 1-mile final approach to the runway, the pilot initiated a sideslip to maintain runway centerline. After touching down about 800 feet beyond the runway threshold, a gust of wind struck the airplane and it veered off the runway. The airplane crossed a taxiway then struck a concrete culvert before flipping over and coming to rest inverted. The pilot stated that once the aircraft veered left, he could not recover. Both of the airplane’s wings and the empennage were substantially damaged during the accident. 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 on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 506 hours in all; 270 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 383 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 24, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,967.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 5, 2020; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 383 hours total
- Operator: Baldrick Aviation Partnership LLC
The flight
- Departed from: DYL Doylestown PA at 4:00 pm
- Runway 26, 2,704 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 13 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.46 inHg
- Observation at 11:54 am from PTW, 6 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KPTW 291654Z AUTO 31013G23KT 10SM BKN050 02/M11 A3046 RMK AO2 SLP316 T00171106 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on July 13, 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 Statement and Questionnaire | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector's Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Records Excerpt | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array_accident Site and Damage | PDF, 6 pages | 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.