Cessna 182L accident near Farmerville, Louisiana, March 5, 1982
On March 5, 1982 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Cessna 182L, registered N70541, was destroyed in an accident near Farmerville, Louisiana. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. 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
- March 5, 1982 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Farmerville, Louisiana
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182L · all 182Ls on the register
- Registration
- N70541 · registry record
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HIS TAKEOFF AND CLIMB TO 2200 FT MSL WERE NORMAL. AFTER THE PLANE WAS IN CRUISE CONFIGURATION, HE HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. THE NOISE LEVEL INCREASED AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO VIBRATE. THE PILOT OBSERVED A PIECE OF METAL PROTRUDING THROUGH THE COWLING. HE SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE, TURNED OFF THE MASTER SWITCH, AND SELECTED AN AREA FOR A FORCED LANDING. BEFORE LANDING, THE MASTER SWITCH WAS TURNED ON MOMENTARILY TO LOWER THE FLAPS. THE PLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHILE LANDING ON HILLY TERRAIN. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE NO. 2 CONNECTING ROD HAD BECOME DISCONNECTED FROM ITS CRANKPIN. THE BEARING HAD DISINTEGRATED, THE CRANKPIN HAD TURNED BLACK FROM THERMAL DAMAGE, AND THE ROD BOLTS HAD BROKEN. THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED.
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: 293 hours in all; 79 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,390 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 77 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Farmerville LA at 12:25 pm
- Destination: Tyler TX
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,000 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 136°F (58°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:00 pm from MLV
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.