Cessna R182 accident near Mt. Morris, Illinois, January 25, 2014
On January 25, 2014 at about 8:45 pm local time, a 1984 Cessna R182, registered N6359T, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Mt. Morris, Illinois. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, which resulted from the pilot's inadequate pre-flight planning and decision-making.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 25, 2014 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Mt. Morris, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna R182 NO SERIES, built 1984 · all R182s on the register
- Registration
- N6359T · no longer on the register · serial R18201995
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial rated pilot was repositioning the airplane from Texas to Wisconsin, with an intermediate stop in Missouri. He said he departed Texas with 88 usable gallons of fuel and flew for 3 hours and 10 minutes before landing in Missouri. The pilot purchased 30 gallons of fuel in Missouri but was unsure how many gallons were in the tanks when he departed since he did not visually check the tanks. While en route to Wisconsin, the pilot encountered severe turbulence and a strong crosswind. The pilot said that as he approached his destination airport, the fuel gauges were getting "lower and lower." He said that when he was about 20 minutes from landing (about 2 hours and 45 minutes into the flight), the engine ran out of gas and stopped producing power. The pilot made a forced landing to a snow covered field, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and firewall. According to a mechanic that recovered the airplane, no leaks were observed in the airplane's fuel system and about one pint of fuel was drained from the left wing fuel tank and the right wing fuel tank was empty.
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
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Snowy/icy › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,497 hours in all; 608 in this make and model
- Last flight review: October 31, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,690 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 27, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 3,112 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-540 (piston); 7 hours total
- Operator: Gelbach Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: JLN Joplin MO at 5:50 pm
- Destination: JVL Janesville WI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 20 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.73 inHg
- Observation at 7:45 pm
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.