Cessna 182P accident near Reno, Nevada, May 24, 1993
On May 24, 1993 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Cessna 182P, registered N642WR, was substantially damaged in an accident near Reno, Nevada. It was a personal flight 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
INCORRECT INSTALLATION OF A BEARING IN THE AIRPLANE'S ALTERNATOR DURING OVERHAUL BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE ROUGH, UNEVEN TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 24, 1993 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Reno, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N642WR · registry record · serial 182-65115
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING CRUISE FLIGHT, THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE AREA. HE SECURED THE ENGINE, ENTERED A POWER=OFF GLIDE, AND LANDED THE AIRPLANE IN ROUGH, UNEVEN TERRAIN. DURING LANDING, THE NOSEGEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE ALTERNATOR HAD SEIZED CAUSING THE DRIVE BELT TO BREAK. THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE AND ACCESSORIES HAD BEEN REPLACED WITH OVERHAULED COMPONENTS ABOUT 25 FLIGHT HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE ALTERNATOR SHOWED THAT A BEARING IN THE ALTERNATOR HAD BEEN INSTALLED BACKWARD DURING THE OVERHAUL PROCESS.
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: 3,300 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,525 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 1992; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S21 Sunriver OR at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from RNO, 6 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.
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 LAX93LA222.