Cessna 182 incident near Fowlerville, Michigan, May 27, 2012
On May 27, 2012 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Cessna 182, registered N287TC, suffered minor damage in an incident during maneuvering near Fowlerville, Michigan (Maple Grove Airport). It was a skydiving flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The airplane’s encounter with clear air turbulence, which caused a momentary loss of control and minor damage to the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 27, 2012 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Fowlerville, Michigan · Maple Grove Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 N · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N287TC · registry record · serial 18260183
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Skydiving flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was maneuvering around clouds during a skydiving operation when the airplane abruptly made a steep bank to the left and continued to dive. He made control corrections to recover the airplane and soon after landed uneventfully. The pilot believed that he hit a patch of turbulence that caused the airplane to maneuver in such a manner. A postflight examination revealed wrinkles in the top skin of the airplane’s wings, which was later determined to be minor damage.
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 in flight during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Clear air turbulence › Effect on operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Lateral/bank control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 478 hours in all; 159 in this make and model; 104 in the last 90 days; 67 in the last 30 days; 404 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 14, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,349 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 9, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Runway 27, 3,050 ft by 110 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 12 knots, gusting 16
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 1:57 pm from KOZW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.