Cessna 182 accident near Jacksonville, Florida, June 23, 2018
On June 23, 2018 at about 6:40 pm local time, a 1956 Cessna 182, registered N5682B, was substantially damaged in an accident during emergency descent near Jacksonville, Florida (Herlong Recreational airport). It was a skydiving flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined due to insufficient evidence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 23, 2018 · about 6:40 pm local time
- Place
- Jacksonville, Florida · Herlong Recreational · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182, built 1956 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N5682B · no longer on the register · serial 33682
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Skydiving flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot reported that he had been conducting skydiving support flights on the day of the accident. Before his first flight, the airplane had about 23 gallons of fuel onboard. He flew the airplane for about 4.0 hours and then added about 18 gallons of fuel to the airplane. He flew three more local flights and then made a second fuel stop and added 14 gallons of fuel to the airplane. The pilot did not conduct fuel consumption checks to estimate the engine’s fuel consumption rate nor did he check the total fuel quantity in the tanks after the first and second refuelings. After making two more local flights and while on final approach to the airport, the engine lost total power, and the pilot conducted a forced landing to a residential area, during which the right elevator and right wing sustained substantial damage. After the accident, no fuel was found in the wing tanks; however, the airplane had come to rest on its right side with the right-wing tank breached and the left-wing tank in a position to allow drainage, which likely allowed any remaining fuel to leak out into the ground. Further, the original carburetor engine had been replaced with a fuel-injected engine and wing extensions had been added to the airplane. Performance charts for the airplane did not account for these changes. Therefore, the amount of fuel onboard the airplane when the engine lost power could not be determined. The engine was test-run, and it started and ran successfully. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined based on the available evidence.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during emergency descent defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,286 hours in all; 609 in this make and model; 44 in the last 90 days; 31 in the last 30 days; 1,136 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 24, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,651 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HEG Jacksonville FL at 6:00 pm
- Destination: HEG Jacksonville FL
- Runway 29, 3,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,600 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 5:35 pm from KHEG, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on February 12, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Wing Extensions | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Weight & Balance | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Video of Engine Test Run (Shelf Item) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photos | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.