Cessna 182L accident near Boca Raton, Florida, January 25, 2002
On January 25, 2002 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Cessna 182L, registered N182JM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Boca Raton, Florida. 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
The pilot's failure to perform a proper preflight inspection and refueling of the aircraft, resulting in an in-flight loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and a collision with a road sign during the emergency landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 25, 2002 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Boca Raton, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182L · all 182Ls on the register
- Registration
- N182JM · no longer on the register · serial 18259187
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he did not visually check his fuel quantity level during his preflight walk around inspection, and about 15 minutes into his flight he sustained a loss of engine power. He conducted a forced landing on the Florida Turnpike, and during landing rollout, the left wing collided with a road sign, causing structural damage. The wing fuel tanks were not compromised during the collision, and there was no spillage. The FAA reported that 2.5 gallons was the total fuel load aboard at the time of the accident. The 2.5 gallon quantity was substantiated by the salvage crew when the wings were removed. The Cessna 182L type certificate data sheets state that 30 pounds or 5.11 gallons is the fuel system's unusable amount. The engine started normally and operated smoothly to 2,000 rpm, with NTSB oversight, 13 days later.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,500 hours in all; 2,500 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: April 16, 1999
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,592 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 28, 2001; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PMP Pompano FL at 6:00 pm
- Destination: FD38 Wellington FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Wind: from 140° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from PMP
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.