Cessna 182R accident near Thayer, Indiana, July 14, 2010
On July 14, 2010 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182R, registered N9797H, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Thayer, Indiana. 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
A total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's failure to visually check the fuel supply prior to takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 14, 2010 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Thayer, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182R · all 182Rs on the register
- Registration
- N9797H · no longer on the register · serial 18268031
- 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 when checking the fuel gauges he noted that they were indicating more fuel than should have been on board. He asked airport personnel for a ladder so he could visually check the fuel level, but then he became distracted and forgot to visually check the fuel. After approximately 1 hour 30 minutes of flight the engine lost power. The pilot selected a field in which to land; however, the airplane contacted irrigation equipment during the landing flare. Postaccident inspection of the airplane revealed that the fuel tanks were intact but empty. Both wings and the firewall were substantially damaged.
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
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Contributed to outcome
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,865 hours in all; 1,621 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 1,865 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 9, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,678 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 29, 2009; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D187 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: I69 Batavia OH at 11:30 am
- Destination: C56 Monee IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,400 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 am from GYY, 32 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.