Cessna 182 accident near Zephyrhills, Florida, February 21, 1983
On February 21, 1983 at about 4:40 pm local time, a Cessna 182, registered CGNHL, was destroyed in an accident near Zephyrhills, Florida (Zephyrhills airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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
- February 21, 1983 · about 4:40 pm local time
- Place
- Zephyrhills, Florida · Zephyrhills
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- CGNHL · no longer on the register · serial 18263532
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON INITIAL CLIMB AT ABOUT 250 FT AGL THE ENGINE FAILED. WATER WAS FOUND IN THE GASCOLATOR AND IN THE FUEL TANKS. A WRINKLED RIDGE WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL TANK BOTTOM WHICH TRAPPED WATER.
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: foreign licence, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 758 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 24, 1982; 55 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental 0470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ZPH Zephyrhills
- Destination: PBI West Palm Bch.
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 14 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 18,000 ft; scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:51 pm from TPA, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
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.