Cessna 182 accident near Jacksonville, Florida, March 11, 1989
On March 11, 1989 at about 4:08 pm local time, a Cessna 182, registered N182BH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jacksonville, Florida (Craig airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO USE THE CARBURETOR HEAT, WHICH RESULTED IN CARBURETOR ICE. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: CARBURETOR ICING CONDITIONS AND OBSTRUCTIONS (POWER LINES & VEHICLES) IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 11, 1989 · about 4:08 pm local time
- Place
- Jacksonville, Florida · Craig · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N182BH · no longer on the register · serial 57141
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT STRUCK POWERLINES THEN CRASHED INTO 3 AUTOS. FAA PSNL ARRIVING ON SCENE FOUND THE CARB HEAT IN THE COLD POSITION. THE PLT STATED THAT HE 'HAS NEVER HAD TO ROUTINELY USE THE CARB HEAT ON THIS ACFT.' THE ENG WAS LATER RUN OF A TEST STAND & STARTED ON THE 1ST ATTEMPT. POWER OUTPUT WAS LIMITED TO 1800 RPM FOR SAFETY REASONS DUE TO AN UNSECURED TEST STAND. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AIR TEMP WAS 58 DEGREES, DEWPOINT WAS 45 DEGREES. THE PLT STATED THAT HE HAD LET DOWN FROM 4500 FT AT REDUCED POWER. ACCORDING TO CARB ICE CHARTS, ICING PROBABILITY WAS HIGH AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
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: 1,524 hours in all; 620 in this make and model; 66 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,209 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 25, 1989; 70 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: FXE Fort Lauderdale FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 4,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:14 pm from CRG, 1 miles away
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.