Cessna 182P accident near Midland, Texas, December 26, 1998
On December 26, 1998 at about 8:22 pm local time, a Cessna 182P, registered N182FE, was destroyed in an accident near Midland, Texas (Midland International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, resulting in an inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 26, 1998 · about 8:22 pm local time
- Place
- Midland, Texas · Midland International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N182FE · registry record · serial 18264925
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane stalled on final approach and impacted the ground short of the runway threshold along the extended centerline of the runway. According to one witness, the airplane pitched 'up and then back down and the wings started to rock back and forth some.' Subsequently, the nose of the airplane pitched down about 70 degrees and impacted the ground. Two other witnesses saw the airplane's wings 'teeter slightly' then the airplane pitched 70 degrees nose low and impacted the ground. Flight control continuity was confirmed at the accident site. No anomalies were found during the testing of the engine, autopilot, and electrical trim system that would have prevented normal operation prior to the accident.
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: 783 hours in all; 468 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,422 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 4, 1998; 145 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-S1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MAF at 7:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 4,605 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 18 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 14°F (-10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from MAF
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.
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.