Cessna 182A accident near Elizabethtown, Kentucky, August 30, 2008
On August 30, 2008 at about 10:50 pm local time, a Cessna 182A, registered N5927B, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Elizabethtown, Kentucky (Addington Field Airport). It was a skydiving 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
A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was pressure from the company for the pilot to fly the second load of skydivers without refueling.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 30, 2008 · about 10:50 pm local time
- Place
- Elizabethtown, Kentucky · Addington Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182A · all 182As on the register
- Registration
- N5927B · registry record · serial 33927
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Skydiving flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was fueled before the pilot's first flight that day. A total of 6.0 gallons of fuel were added to each fuel tank. After fueling, the pilot dipped each fuel tank using the provided dipstick, and determined that each tank contained between 7.0 and 7.5 gallons of usable fuel. He then flew one load of skydivers, returned, and attempted to secure the engine for fueling but was pressured by company personnel that he had enough fuel to make the second flight and that he needed to keep the airplane operating. He reluctantly kept the engine running and did not refuel the airplane, contrary to his typical procedure. The next load of skydivers were boarded, and the flight departed. The flight climbed to 11,000 feet where they were offloaded. He maneuvered away from the airport due to clouds, and when clear of them, proceeded to return. While flying at 2,000 feet close to the traffic pattern, the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion. Attempts to restart were unsuccessful. The pilot performed a forced landing in a corn field substantially damaging the airplane. Postaccident, a total of between 8.5 and 9.0 gallons of fuel were drained from the airplane. The total unusable fuel amount for all flight conditions is 10.0 gallons. A replacement propeller was installed and the engine was started and found to operate normally. The owner's manual used by the operator was incorrect, though the pilot knew the correct unusable amount.
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
- Fuel exhaustion during maneuvering defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- factor Organizational issues › Management › Policy/procedure › Adequacy of policy/proc › Operator
- factor Environmental issues › Task environment › Pressures/demands › (general) › Effect on personnel
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Related operating info
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 882 hours in all; 50 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,006.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 27, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 2,649 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Skydive Kentucky, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: EKX Elizabethtown KY at 10:26 pm
- Destination: EKX Elizabethtown KY
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from FTK, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.