NTSB ATL92LA067 — 1992-03-21 · BARNWELL, South Carolina, United States

Current FAA registration · N5441B

Make / Model: CESSNA 182
Year of manufacture: 1956 · 36 years old at event
Engine: CONT MOTOR O-470 SERIES (230 hp)
Seats / Engines: 4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19560613
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A6E945

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N5441B Cessna 182 Fatal

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A SAFE ALTITUDE ABOVE THE GROUND WHILE MAKING A LOW PASS AT NIGHT.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT HAD TAKEN A NEWLYWED COUPLE UP ON A CEREMONIAL 'MILE HIGH' LOCAL PLEASURE FLIGHT AS A WEDDING GIFT. HE REPORTED THAT DURING A MANEUVER HE FELT A 'SHUDDER', AND ELECTED TO MAKE A LOW PASS OVER AN AIRPORT TAXIWAY, BY SOME FRIENDS ON THE GROUND WITH A HAND-HELD RADIO, FOR A 'LANDING GEAR CHECK'. DURING THE SECOND PASS THE PILOT ASKED THE COUPLE TO 'LOOK TO THE RIGHT WHERE THE MOON SHINES OVER BARNWELL.' THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A SPECTATOR ON THE TAXIWAY. A PAX STATED THAT THE PILOT THEN 'FREAKED OUT' AND WAS IN NO CONDITION TO FLY THE AIRPLANE. DURING A SUBSEQUENT LANDING ATTEMPT, A PAX PREVENTED A GO-AROUND BY FORCING THE YOKE FORWARD AND PUSHING ON THE BRAKE PEDALS WITH HIS HANDS. THE PAX STATED THE PILOT 'WANTED TO KEEP FLYING AND HE WAS GOING NUTS.' THE PILOT FLED THE SCENE AFTER THE ACCIDENT BUT RETURNED LATER. THE PILOT HAD ARRANGED TO HAVE THE PEOPLE ON THE GROUND 'MOON' THE AIRPLANE DURING THE LOW PASS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1992_ATL92LA067.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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