Cessna 182P accident near Marlow, Oklahoma, November 9, 1993
On November 9, 1993 at about 2:25 am local time, a Cessna 182P, registered N182JS, was destroyed in an accident near Marlow, Oklahoma. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AN INOPERATIVE VACUUM SYSTEM, AN INOPERATIVE TURN & BANK INDICATOR, AND AN INOPERATIVE DIRECTIONAL GYRO, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INABILITY OF THE PILOT TO CONTROL THE AIRPLANE AFTER IT ENCOUNTERED INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC). FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, FOG, AND DRIZZLE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 9, 1993 · about 2:25 am local time
- Place
- Marlow, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N182JS · registry record · serial 33131
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
BEFORE FLIGHT, THE PILOT INDICATED HE DID NOT WANT TO FLY IN IMC. HE WAS BRIEFED ON WEATHER, WEST OF HIS ROUTE, & TOLD THAT CEILINGS WOULD BE LOWERING TO IMC. AT 2017:53, HE CONTACTED ATC, REQUESTED WEATHER INFO & SAID HE WAS 'TRYING TO STAY VISUAL.' AT 2019:37, HE REPORTED IN IMC & REQUESTED AN IFR CLEARANCE. HE WAS GIVEN THE WEATHER & CLEARANCE. HE SUBSEQUENTLY REPORTED THAT HE HAD TO CONCENTRATE ON FLYING THE AIRPLANE. AT 2024:05, THE PILOT STATED HE HAD A VACUUM PROBLEM AND A 'PANEL SITUATION.' THE CONTROLLER THEN SAID HE HAD A FLIGHT PLAN CHANGE, BUT THE PILOT RESPONDED 'I'M GOING TO HAVE TO FLY THE AIRPLANE.' SOON THEREAFTER, CONTACT WITH THE PLANE WAS LOST & IT CRASHED IN AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT. METALLURGICAL EXAM INDICATED THE VACUUM DRIVEN TURN & BANK INDICATOR AND DIRECTIONAL GYRO INSTRUMENTS WERE NOT ROTATING AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. THE ATTITUDE GYRO EXHIBITED ROTATIONAL IMPACT SIGNATURES, BUT ITS ROTATION SPEED WAS NOT VERIFIED. THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO ROTOR WAS CAPABLE OF ROTATION ABOUT THE CENTRAL SHAFT.
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; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 25, 1993
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DUC Duncan OK at 2:15 am
- Destination: PWA Oklahoma City OK
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW94FA028.