Cessna 182L accident near Mancelona, Michigan, October 19, 2010
On October 19, 2010 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 182L, registered N808HC, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Mancelona, Michigan. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power in flight due to the failure of the engine's No. 5 piston.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 19, 2010 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mancelona, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182L · all 182Ls on the register
- Registration
- N808HC · no longer on the register · serial 18259299
- 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 cruise flight the airplane suddenly started shaking violently. He reduced the engine power and noticed the vibration diminished. The pilot selected a field and attempted an off-airport landing, during which the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and vertical tail. A postaccident examination of the airplane's engine revealed that the No. 5 piston was fragmented. The engine had last been overhauled 17 years prior to the accident, and had accumulated 740 hours since the overhaul.
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 enroute (cruise) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,476 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 51 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 1,335 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 22, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,945 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 22, 2009; 38 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GLR Gaylord MI at 7:20 pm
- Destination: TVC Traverse City MI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 7:15 pm from GLR, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.