Piper PA-18 accident near Victoria, Texas, April 30, 1982
On April 30, 1982 at about 8:50 pm local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N186T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Victoria, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 30, 1982 · about 8:50 pm local time
- Place
- Victoria, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N186T · registry record · serial 18-2300
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT TOOKOFF AT ABOUT 1535 TO FLY IN THE LOCAL AREA AND THEN TO PROCEED TO HIS HOME AT EDNA, TX. HE FLEW TO A BALL FIELD TO OBSERVE SOME FRIENDS PLAYING BALL. AFTER CIRCLING THE FIELD 3 TIMES, HE APPLIED POWER AND BEGAN A CLIMB. HE STATED THAT ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER, THE ENGINE BACKFIRED AND BEGAN SPUTTERING. HE STATED THAT HE ESTABLISHED A 65 KT GLIDE AND BEGAN RESTART PROCEDURES, BUT THE ENGINE QUIT COMPLETELY AND THE PROPELLER STOPPED. A GRASS FIELD WAS SELECTED FOR LANDING AND THE PLANE WAS SIDE SLIPPED ON FINAL. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AT ABOUT 50 FT AGL, HE RAN OUT OF ROOM, STALLED COMPLETELY, AND THE RIGHT WING DROPPED ABOUT 30 DEGREES. THE PLANE CAME TO REST ABOUT 25 TO 30 FT FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE VERIFIED NO PREIMPACT DISCREPANCIES EXCEPT THAT THE MUFFLER BAFFELS WERE BURNED AND A HOLE WAS NOTED IN THE MUFFLER. HOWEVER, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE LEFT MAGNETO WOULD NOT FIRE. THE ENGINE RAN SUCCESSFULLY AFTER REPLACING THE DAMAGED CARBURETOR.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 170 hours in all; 101 in this make and model; 54 in the last 90 days; 123 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,229 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 90 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Victoria TX at 3:35 pm
- Destination: Edna TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 167°F (75°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 3:50 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW82DA159.