Cessna 182P accident near Mobile, Alabama, May 4, 1997
On May 4, 1997 at about 11:50 pm local time, a Cessna 182P, registered N1530M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mobile, Alabama (Mobile Downtown airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions and failure to maintain directional control during landing rollout, which resulted in a collision with a runway light.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 4, 1997 · about 11:50 pm local time
- Place
- Mobile, Alabama · Mobile Downtown · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N1530M · registry record · serial 1872-64365
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated he made a smooth landing after completing an ILS approach. The airplane started to weather vane to the right, the pilot lost directional control, and the airplane went off the runway to the right. The pilot initially stated he could not remember if he applied any aileron or rudder input before going off the side of the runway, but recanted his statement in the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report. The airplane collided with a runway light, and the nosegear collapsed after the airplane went off the runway. Examination of the brakes, airframe, and flight control systems 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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 727 hours in all; 470 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 678 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-S (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NEW New Orleans LA at 10:50 pm
- Destination: BFM
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 32, 9,617 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from MOB, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.