Cessna 182B accident near Wildwood, Florida, March 16, 2008
On March 16, 2008 at about 9:25 am local time, a Cessna 182B, registered CFFBC, was involved in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Wildwood, Florida. 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 noninstrument rated pilot's failure to maintain terrain clearance at night in marginal visual flight conditions. Contributing to the accident was the dark night, and low cloud ceilings.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 16, 2008 · about 9:25 am local time
- Place
- Wildwood, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182B · all 182Bs on the register
- Registration
- CFFBC · no longer on the register · serial 51657
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The noninstrument rated pilot departed on a visual flight rules cross country flight at night without obtaining a weather briefing. Review of the pilot's logbook revealed he flew 11.3 total night hours in 2007, and that he logged .2 hours of night 5 days prior to the accident. The pilot's last instrument dual instructional flight was on March 6, 1981, and the last simulated instrument flight was on December 1, 2003. The closest weather reporting facility located 7.5 miles from the accident site reported an overcast ceiling of 1,000 feet. At the time of the accident, the moon and sun were more than 11 degrees below the horizon. Review of radar data revealed the flight altitude varied from 800 feet to a high of 2,400 feet. The airplane was observed on radar to turn to the left, and back to the right four different times. The last radar contact with the airplane was 20 statute miles from the accident site. A witness who lived 10 statute miles from the accident site stated he was at his home, and heard an airplane approaching. He looked out the window towards the west, the ceilings were between 800 to 1000 feet, and it was dark with very little ambient light. He observed the airplane flying from the west to the east, and the navigation and landing lights were on. The airplane appeared to be near the base of the clouds, and it passed north of his house, and started a turn to the north, where it disappeared from view. Examination of the crash site revealed the airplane collided with a swamp, and a tree-lined open field in a nose low, right wing down attitude on a heading of 360 degrees magnetic. The wreckage debris line extended 219 feet. Examination of the airframe, flight controls, engine assembly, and accessories, revealed no evidence of a precrash mechanical failure or malfunction.
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
What happened, in order
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Not specified
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Low ceiling › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 2,514 hours in all; 209 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 2,405 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,205.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2007; 40.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X07 Lake Wales FL at 8:46 am
- Destination: VJI Abingdon VA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 260° at 16 knots, gusting 11
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 9:35 am from OCF, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.