Cessna 182L accident near Near Mcallen, Texas, December 20, 1982
On December 20, 1982 at about 2:30 am local time, a Cessna 182L, registered N42717, was destroyed in an accident near Near Mcallen, Texas. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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
- December 20, 1982 · about 2:30 am local time
- Place
- Near Mcallen, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182L · all 182Ls on the register
- Registration
- N42717 · no longer on the register · serial 18259160
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED MCALLEN, TX AT 1903 CST TO AN UNKNOWN DESTINATION. DURING DEPARTURE, IT WAS OBSERVED HEADING NORTHWEST. ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS LATER, IT WAS AGAIN OBSERVED IN THE VICINITY, ABOUT 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF MCALLEN, TX. WITNESSES STATED THAT THE PLANE MADE SEVERAL PASSES WITH NO LIGHTS ON, THEN CRASHED AND BURNED. TWO OF THE WITNESSES THOUGHT THE PILOT WAS LANDING WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. AFTER THE CRASH, VOICES WERE HEARD IN THE AREA. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE PLANE'S RIGHT WING HAD STRUCK A TREE BEFORE GROUND IMPACT. ABOUT 200 LBS OF MARIJUANA WAS ABOARD THE AIRCRAFT AND ANOTHER 200 LBS WAS LOCATED ON THE GROUND IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,800 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no 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 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 060° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 144°F (62°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 8:00 pm from MFE, 7 miles away
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.