Cessna 182P accident near Morgantown, West Virginia, October 20, 1997
On October 20, 1997 at about 5:05 pm local time, a Cessna 182P, registered N9388G, was destroyed in an accident near Morgantown, West Virginia (Morgantown Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to carburetor ice and the pilot's failure to follow ATC instructions during the emergency descent.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 20, 1997 · about 5:05 pm local time
- Place
- Morgantown, West Virginia · Morgantown Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N9388G · no longer on the register · serial 18260928
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While en route, the pilot called ATC and amended his final destination. The airplane was at 5,000 feet in the vicinity of the original destination when ATC instructed the pilot to climb and maintain 6,000. Shortly thereafter, the pilot reported a loss of engine power. The pilot was advised the airport was at his 6 o'clock position and 5 miles. The controller repeatedly instructed the pilot to '...turn around...' and '...make a left turn around...' to a heading of 020 degrees. The pilot asked for the heading and it was repeated by the controller. The pilot acknowledged '...020.' When the controller asked if the pilot could turn to a heading of 020 the pilot responded, 'I'm heading 220...' The airplane collided with terrain approximately 10 miles from the airport. Examination of the pilot's logbook revealed approximately 117 hours of flight experience in the 6 years prior to the accident. The pilot was not current for IFR flight. The pilot's CFI stated he recommended instrument proficiency training to the pilot 6 months prior to the accident. The airplane was in cruise flight in conditions conducive to serious icing at cruise power.
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: 2,000 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,647 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 25, 1997; 32 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470R25B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ROC Rochester NY
- Destination: CRW Charleston WV
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,500 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:45 pm from MGW, 9 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.