Cessna 182E accident near Armstrong, Texas, May 10, 1982
On May 10, 1982 at about 3:00 am local time, a Cessna 182E, registered N9330X, was destroyed in an accident near Armstrong, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 10, 1982 · about 3:00 am local time
- Place
- Armstrong, Texas
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182E · all 182Es on the register
- Registration
- N9330X · no longer on the register · serial 18253730
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
BEFORE TAKING OFF, THE PILOT REVIEWED THE WEATHER IN PERSON AT THE COLLEGE STATION FSS, BUT DECLINED AN OFFICIAL WEATHER BRIEFING. HE DEPARTED IN GOOD VFR CONDITIONS AND FLEW INTO AN AREA OF KNOWN AND FORCASTED LOW CEILINGS. WHILE EN ROUTE, HIS FLIGHT PATH WAS OVER AN UNINHABITED RANCH LAND BETWEEN KINGSVILLE AND BROWNSVILLE, TX. BY THIS TIME, IT WAS A DARK NIGHT WITHOUT ANY VISIBLE GROUND REFERENCES. AT 2056 CDT, THE PILOT CONTACTED THE ALICE FSS AND REQUESTED THE BROWNSVILLE WEATHER. THE 1845 CDT WEATHER (1300 FT OVERCAST) WAS PROVIDED AND THE PILOT WAS ADVISED THAT A NEW WEATHER SEQUENCE WOULD BE AVAILABLE AT 2105 CDT. AT 2105, THE FSS TRIED TO CALL THE PILOT, BUT THERE WAS NO REPLY. ON 5/16/82, THE PLANE WAS FOUND WHERE IT HAD CRASHED IN A STEEP DIVE WITH THE RIGHT WING LOW. THE 2055 CDT KINGSVILLE WEATHER WAS: 1500 FT SCATTERED, 2000 FT OVERCAST, VISBIILITY 7 MILES. THE 0854 CDT BROWNSVILLE WEATHER WAS: 1000 FT OVERCAST, VISIBILITY 7 MILES.
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: 1,600 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: College Station TX at 7:20 pm
- Destination: Brownsville TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.