Cessna 182A accident near Geneseo, Illinois, July 2, 2014
On July 2, 2014, a 1958 Cessna 182A, registered N2209G, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Geneseo, Illinois (Geneseo Airpark airport). It was a skydiving 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 pilot's mismanagement of the available fuel supply, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 2, 2014
- Place
- Geneseo, Illinois · Geneseo Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182A A, built 1958 · all 182As on the register
- Registration
- N2209G · no longer on the register · serial 51509
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Skydiving flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was on final approach when the engine started to run out of fuel. She said her boss had a similar problem on a previous flight, and had to correct for it by pitching the nose up and down to force fuel into the fuel lines. The pilot recalled pitching the nose up and down but nothing after that. A witness, who saw the airplane pitching up and down several times before it impacted the ground, responded to the crash. He noted that the fuel selector was set to the "both" position and no fuel was leaking from either fuel tank's gas cap. When the airplane was righted, the witness said he saw several gallons of fuel drain from the left tank but not the right tank. When he visually checked the right fuel tank, it was empty. The left tank had about 9 gallons (about 6.5 gallons usable) still in the tank. A postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed the airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall, forward engine mounts, right wing and vertical stabilizer and rudder. About 6 gallons of fuel was drained from the left wing tank and the right tank was empty. A review of the terrain where the airplane impacted the ground revealed the vegetation around the left tank was discolored from fuel, but the area around the right tank was not. No pre mishap mechanical discrepancies were noted with the engine or airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 233 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,348 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Quad City Skydiving Center INC
The flight
- Departed from: 3G8 Geneseo IL
- Destination: 3G8 Geneseo IL
- Runway 27, 2,568 ft by 120 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.