Cessna 182G accident near Blanco, Texas, April 22, 1999
On April 22, 1999 at about 3:40 am local time, a Cessna 182G, registered N2330R, was destroyed in an accident near Blanco, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's continued flight into adverse weather conditions and his failure to maintain clearance with terrain. Factors were, the low cloud and drizzle weather conditions, and the dark night light conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 22, 1999 · about 3:40 am local time
- Place
- Blanco, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182G · all 182Gs on the register
- Registration
- N2330R · no longer on the register · serial 18255430
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-instrument rated private pilot failed to maintain clearance with terrain during a dark night, instrument meteorological conditions, flight. Witnesses near the accident site reported observing the airplane flying 'extremely low' from the northwest toward the southeast. The witnesses added that the airplane turned toward the south, then disappeared behind a hill. All but one of the witnesses stated that they heard a constant engine noise, which became 'muffled' when the airplane went behind the hill. They reported hearing the sound of the airplane impacting the ground and then seeing the first signs of a fire. The witnesses added that the airplane remained below the 'low' clouds and that a light drizzle was falling. According to area weather observations, the cloud bases near the accident site were approximately 800 feet above the ground. The pilot had accumulated 9.2 hours of simulated instrument flight and 55.4 hours of night flying experience at the time of the accident. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies that would have prevented normal operation.
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
- Flight time: 1,193 hours in all; 38 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 1,154 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,491 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 2, 1999; 17 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
- Departed from: COM Coleman TX at 2:30 am
- Destination: SAT San Antonio TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 160° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,700 ft; ovct at 1,700 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:35 am from BAZ, 36 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.
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.