Cessna 182 accident near Hendersonville, North Carolina, October 19, 2007
On October 19, 2007 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182, registered N1437S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hendersonville, North Carolina (Hendersonville airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to calculate weight and balance prior to departure, which resulted in departure above the maximum allowable gross weight, and the airplane's inability to climb. Contributing to the accident was the high density altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 19, 2007 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hendersonville, North Carolina · Hendersonville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N1437S · no longer on the register · serial 18264985
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Cessna 182 took off "right at max gross weight," accelerated, but did not climb. The pilot maneuvered around trees immediately after takeoff, but the airplane eventually struck trees in its path. The pilot reported that the airplane revealed no mechanical deficiencies during run-up and the takeoff. Weight and balance calculations after the accident revealed that with 3 adult males, 3 golf bags, luggage, and full fuel tanks, the airplane's estimated weight was 3,135 pound. The manufacturer's maximum allowable gross weight was 2,950 pounds. The runway was 3,075 feet long, at 2,084 feet elevation, and the density altitude computed for the departure airport at the time of the accident was 3,571 feet. The pilot reported that he did not conduct weight and balance calculations "with a pencil and paper" prior to departure.
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
- Flight time: 4,087 hours in all; 4,005 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0A7 Hendersonville NC
- Destination: SUA Stuart FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 3,075 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.