Cessna 172M accident near Odessa, Florida, January 8, 1982
On January 8, 1982 at about 6:02 am local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N80264, was destroyed in an accident near Odessa, Florida (W. Pasco airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 8, 1982 · about 6:02 am local time
- Place
- Odessa, Florida · W. Pasco · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N80264 · no longer on the register · serial 17266485
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE MANEUVERING AT LOW ALTITUDE, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A POWER LINE AND CRASHED INTO A FIELD ABOUT 1000 FT SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT NIGHT IN HEAVY FOG. AN EXAMINATION OF THE CABLE MARKS ON THE WRECKAGE INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE WHEN IT STRUCK THE POWERLINES.
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: 2,600 hours in all; 1,800 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,872 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Orlando FL
- Destination: SBS Steamboat Sprin CO
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 8, 5,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.