Cessna 182J accident near Stuart, Florida, February 13, 2001
On February 13, 2001 at about 11:16 pm local time, a Cessna 182J, registered N979ND, was destroyed in an accident near Stuart, Florida (Witham Field Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to undetermined reasons resulting in the forced landing. A factor in the accident was the unsuitable terrain encountered during the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 13, 2001 · about 11:16 pm local time
- Place
- Stuart, Florida · Witham Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182J · all 182Js on the register
- Registration
- N979ND · no longer on the register · serial 18257443
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The fuel tanks were filled 2 days before the accident and the airplane had been operated for approximately 2.1 hours since fueling before the accident pilot flew the airplane. The accident pilot flew the airplane to another airport where 1 of the 2 passengers on board deplaned; the flight duration was approximately 20-30 minutes and was uneventful according to the passenger who deplaned. The pilot flew the accident airplane to the original departure airport where he performed 1 touch-and-go landing followed by a second touch-and-go landing. During the initial climb after the second touch-and-go landing, the pilot advised the controller that he was landing on a golf course and the engine had quit. The airplane clipped the top of a tree on a fairway of the golf course, then touched down on the fairway. During the landing roll the airplane collided with a stand of palm trees resulting in a postcrash fire. Examination of the flight controls revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. The engine was placed on a test stand with the slightly impact damaged propeller and impact damaged carburetor; the engine was found to operate normally. The carburetor had been previously converted from one part number to another; an economizer restrictor was installed that was not specified to be installed. The carburetor was flow tested which revealed that the carburetor flowed within limits at 1 test point and an average of 6.2 pounds per hour greater than specified at the remaining four test points. Calculations indicated that the engine/propeller rpm at touchdown on the fairway was 872. Postaccident testing of fuel from the facility that fueled the airplane last revealed the fuel was within specification.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 363 hours in all; 93 in this make and model; 307 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,709 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 3, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: KSUA Stuart FL
- Destination: KSUA Stuart FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 5,826 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 110° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 11:17 pm from KSUA, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.