Cessna 182 accident near Sandia, Texas, June 3, 2020
On June 3, 2020 at about 2:14 pm local time, a 1967 Cessna 182, registered N3107R, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Sandia, Texas (J A Knolle airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during takeoff from a soft airstrip that resulted in a collision with objects.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 3, 2020 · about 2:14 pm local time
- Place
- Sandia, Texas · J A Knolle · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 L, built 1967 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N3107R · no longer on the register · serial 18258507
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during a soft field takeoff from a grass airstrip with 20º of flaps extended, about a third of the way down the airstrip, the left main landing gear wheel impacted mud as the airplane rotated and initiated the climb. The airplane drifted left of centerline and the pilot corrected with right aileron control. The airplane continued to drift left, and subsequently collided with a fence and a tree before it collided with terrain in an open field and came to rest in a nose down position. The wings and fuselage were substantially damaged. According to a witness, after the airplane became airborne, it attained an altitude of about 20 ft above the ground as it drifted to the left of the airstrip centerline. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Wet surface › Effect on equipment
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,696.8 hours in all; 76.4 in this make and model; 6.3 in the last 90 days; 6.3 in the last 30 days; 4,413 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 3, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,941 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 31, 2019; 152 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,348 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 2,400 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8XS3 Sandia TX at 2:14 pm
- Destination: IKG Kingsville TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 3,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 2:06 pm from KNOG, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on September 2, 2020. 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, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation (Pilot) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photo | PDF, 1 page | 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.