Cessna 172N accident near Lake Of The Oza, Missouri, September 6, 1982
On September 6, 1982 at about 1:45 am local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N6339F, was destroyed in an accident near Lake Of The Oza, Missouri. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. 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
- September 6, 1982 · about 1:45 am local time
- Place
- Lake Of The Oza, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N6339F · registry record · serial 17273196
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE PILOT MADE A LOW PASS AT A COVE, THEN FLEW OUT OVER THE WATER, TURNED AND FLEW BACK AT LOW ALTITUDE. DURING A SECOND LOW PASS, IT STRUCK ELECTRICAL CABLES THAT CROSSED THE COVE. AFTER HITTING THE CABLES, THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN A WOODED AREA. THE SURVIVING PASSENGER STATED THAT HE WAS TAKING PICTURES AND WAS LOOKING OUT THE SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT, THUS HE DID NOT SEE THE CABLES BEFORE IMPACT. THE PASSENGER LIVED WITH HIS MOTHER IN ONE OF THE HOUSES NEAR THE FLIGHT PATH OF THE AIRCRAFT. A TOXICOLOGICAL CHECK OF THE PILOT'S BLOOD REVEALED AN ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 0.162%.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,599 hours in all; 33 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 657 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 41 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 04K Gravois Mills MO at 8:30 pm
- Destination: 04K Gravois Mills MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 172°F (78°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from COU, 60 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.