Cessna 182 accident near Washington, Oklahoma, March 26, 1993
On March 26, 1993 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Cessna 182, registered N5520B, was destroyed in an accident near Washington, Oklahoma (Paradise airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASON(S).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 26, 1993 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Washington, Oklahoma · Paradise · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N5520B · no longer on the register · serial 33520
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING USED TO HAUL SKYDIVERS. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, AFTER ABOUT THE THIRD OR FOURTH FLIGHT, THERE WAS A PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER, DUE TO A FUEL TANK VENT THAT HAD BEEN BLOCKED BY A MUD DAUBER NEST. THE PILOT NOTED THAT WHEN A FUEL CAP WAS REMOVED, HE HEARD A 'HISS' AS DIFFERENTIAL AIR PRESSURE WAS RELIEVED. MAINTENANCE WAS PERFORMED TO CLEAR THE VENT, THEN THE PILOT CONTINUED HAULING SKYDIVERS. AFTER SKYDIVERS EGRESSED AT 10,500 FEET DURING THE NINETH FLIGHT, THE PILOT ENTERED A SPIRALLING DESCENT TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. HE REPORTED THAT DURING AN APPROACH TO LAND ON THE RUNWAY, HE ATTEMPTED TO ADD POWER TO ARREST HIS DESCENT, BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND. THE PILOT CHANGED FUEL TANKS AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE, BUT TO NO AVAIL. HE MANAGED TO FLY OVER A POND, BUT THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN SHORT OF THE THRESHOLD. THE PILOT STEERED THE AIRPLANE TO THE LEFT TO AVOID A FENCE; HOWEVER, WHILE MANEUVERING BETWEEN THE FENCE AND A HANGAR, THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WINGTIP HIT THE HANGAR. THE AIRPLANE THEN PIVOTED INTO THE HANGAR AND WAS FURTHER DAMAGED. AFTER IMPACT, THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE LEFT FUEL TANK HAD RUPTURED AND 'FUEL WAS RUNNING' ONTO HIS NECK AND LEFT SIDE. THE TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT WERE REPORTED TO BE 64 AND 37 DEGREES, RESPECTIVELY; ACCORDING TO ICING PROBABILITY CHARTS, CONDITIONS WERE NOT CONDUCIVE FOR CARBURETOR ICING. NO REASON WAS FOUND FOR THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 505 hours in all; 97 in this make and model; 63 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 428 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 11:15 pm
- Destination: NONE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 4,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 pm from OKC, 10 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N5520B 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.