Cessna 182P accident near Norwalk, Ohio, March 4, 1988
On March 4, 1988 at about 6:10 am local time, a Cessna 182P, registered N84118, was substantially damaged in an accident near Norwalk, Ohio (Norwalk Huron County airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 4, 1988 · about 6:10 am local time
- Place
- Norwalk, Ohio · Norwalk Huron County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N84118 · no longer on the register · serial 18267854
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT RPTD THAT HE WAS CRUISING AT 9,000 FT WHEN HE OBSERVED THE EGT GAUGE INDICATION DROPPING. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND HE NOTICED A FUEL ODOR IN THE CABIN. THE CARB AIR TEMP GAUGE WAS INDICATING 'WELL OUT OF' THE ICING RANGE. HE SELECTED CARB HEAT, BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND. HE THEN SHUT THE CARB HEAT OFF. THE ENGINE EVENTUALLY LOST PWR ALTOGETHER. ATC PROVIDED RADAR VECTORS TO A NEARBY ARPT BUT THE ACFT CRASHED INTO TREES ABOUT 1 MI FROM THE ARPT. POST-CRASH EXAM OF THE ACFT REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF ANY PRE-EXISTING MECH FAILURE/MALFUNCTION. TWO SPARK PLUGS WERE REMOVED AND FOUND TO BE WET W/FUEL. DURING A SUBSEQUENT TEST-RUN, THE ENGINE DEVELOPED FULL PWR. THE PLT HAD BEEN REPEATEDLY ADVISED OF ICING CONDITIONS IN CLOUDS AND PRECIP ALONG HIS ROUTE OF FLT DURING PRE-FLT & IN-FLT WX BRIEFINGS. A FEW MINUTES BEFORE THE PWR LOSS, HE RPTD TO A FSS THAT HE WAS IN 'HEAVY SNOW'. HE WAS NOT IFR RATED. 16 HRS OF HIS LOGGED ACTUAL INST TIME WERE LISTED AS PIC.
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
- Flight time: 450 hours in all; 450 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 410 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,008 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DPA Chicago IL at 4:00 am
- Destination: CLE Cleveland OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 040° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 am from CLE, 33 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N84118 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.