Cessna 182P accident near Prospect, Tennessee, September 14, 2023
On September 14, 2023 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 1976 Cessna 182P, registered N8443M, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Prospect, Tennessee. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to the fatigue failure of the No. 6 cylinder exhaust valve rocker boss.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 14, 2023 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Prospect, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P, built 1976 · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N8443M · no longer on the register · serial 18264605
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was performing a cross-country flight whenthere was a “sudden severe engine vibration and loss of power.” He reduced the throttle in an attempt to lessen the engine vibration and elected to land the airplane in a soybean field since he was unsure if he could clear a large, forested area between him and the next closest airport. After touchdown, the nose landing gear struck a ditch, separated, and the airplane nosed over, coming to rest inverted. An examination of the engine after the accident revealed the No. 6 cylinder exhaust valve rocker boss was fractured and loose inside the rocker cover. The boss was fractured in two places. Metallurgical examination revealed one of the fractured bosses failed from fatigue that initiated at multiple sites along the bore surface that had been in contact with the rocker arm. A review of the maintenance logbooks revealed that the engine cylinders were removed, overhauled, and reinstalled about 3 years and 4 months before the accident, and the airplane had accrued about 154 hours total time since the cylinders were overhauled.
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 engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 554 hours in all; 190 in this make and model
- Last flight review: October 1, 2022
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,764 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 23, 2023; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-S (piston); 2,740 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TCL Tuscaloosa AL at 4:59 pm
- Destination: M54 Lebanon TN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from DCU, 21 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KDCU 141753Z AUTO 36008KT 330V040 10SM CLR 28/14 A3004 RMK AO2 SLP167 T02780144 10278 20172 58006
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on December 5, 2024. 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 Statement | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Excerpts- Maintenance Logbooks | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Examination Summary | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Materials Laboratory Factual Report 24-041 | PDF, 14 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.