Cessna 182E accident near Bryan, Texas, May 23, 2003
On May 23, 2003 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182E, registered N9389X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bryan, Texas (Coulter Field Airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The presence of foreign material in the carburetor intake venturi, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power during takeoff, and a subsequent off-airport forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 23, 2003 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Bryan, Texas · Coulter Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182E · all 182Es on the register
- Registration
- N9389X · registry record · serial 18253789
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot reported a partial loss of engine power during takeoff. He was unable to restore full power, and made an emergency off-airport landing, which resulted in structural damage to the airplane. An FAA inspector and an aviation mechanic examined the engine and noted that the gasket between the air filter and carburetor was missing. A portion of gasket-like material was subsequently discovered in the carburetor's intake venturi. The FAA inspector noted that the material in the venturi would have impeded air flow and resulted in the engine running too rich.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 595 hours in all; 311 in this make and model; 118 in the last 90 days; 86 in the last 30 days; 526 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 18, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,830 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 2, 2002; 78 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,850 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Skydive Aggieland, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: CFD Bryan TX at 9:30 pm
- Destination: CFD Bryan TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from CLL, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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 LAX03LA179.