Cessna 182R accident near Spicewood, Texas, September 1, 1988
On September 1, 1988 at about 9:35 pm local time, a Cessna 182R, registered N3163E, was destroyed in an accident near Spicewood, Texas (Austin Air Park airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. 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
- September 1, 1988 · about 9:35 pm local time
- Place
- Spicewood, Texas · Austin Air Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182R · all 182Rs on the register
- Registration
- N3163E · no longer on the register · serial 18268236
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT SAID THE WINDSOCK INDICATED THE WIND WAS FROM THE NORTHEAST; HOWEVER, WITNESSES SAID THE WINDS WERE FROM THE SOUTH & THE ACFT LANDED DOWNWIND. THE PLT SAID HE WENT AROUND AFTER THE 1ST APCH, & ON THE NEXT PATTERN, HE MADE A LOWERFINAL APCH. HE SAID THAT SHORTLY AFTER CROSSING THE THRESHOLD, THE ACFT WAS SLAPPED FORCEFULLY TO THE GND, THEN IT LIFTED OFF AGAIN & HE CORRECTED FOR A STRONG X-WIND FROM THE RIGHT. RPRTDLY, THE AIRPLANE WENT LEFT, THEN RIGHT, & SUBSEQUENTLY, THE LEFT WING OF HIS ACFT SHEARED OFF THE EMPENNAGE OF A CESSNA 210 PARKED NEAR THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RWY. THE NOSEWHEEL OF THE MOVING ACFT (N3163E) CAME OFF, ITS NOSE STRUT DUG IN THE TERRAIN & THE ACFT NOSED OVER. WITNESSES SAID THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN IN WHAT LOOKED TO BE THE LAST 1000 FT OF THE RWY. APRX 24 MI WEST AT AUSTIN, TX, THE WIND WAS RPRTD TO BE FROM 080 DEG AT 11 GUSTING 16 KTS WITH TOWERING CUMULUS CLOUDS MOVING WEST.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,007 hours in all; 934 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 814 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 956 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 1988; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HUB Houston TX at 8:15 pm
- Destination: 88R
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 35, 3,000 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 11 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Observation at 6:50 am from AUS, 24 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.
Other NTSB records under N3163E the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.