Cessna 182B accident near Fults, Illinois, July 14, 2015
On July 14, 2015 at about 7:56 pm local time, a 1959 Cessna 182B, registered N2764G, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near Fults, Illinois. It was a skydiving flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The malfunction of the flap assembly, which resulted in a restriction of aileron control. Contributing to the accident was maintenance personnel’s inadequate inspection of a corroded flap control cable.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 14, 2015 · about 7:56 pm local time
- Place
- Fults, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182B B, built 1959 · all 182Bs on the register
- Registration
- N2764G · no longer on the register · serial 52064
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Skydiving flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was conducting a local skydiving flight with four skydivers. After the airplane climbed to 3,800 ft, one of the skydivers deployed, and at 11,000 ft, the remaining three skydivers deployed. The pilot stated that the procedure for deploying skydivers was to input 10° of flaps before the skydivers' deployment. After the last skydiver exited the airplane, the pilot closed the door and started to retract the flaps from 10° to 0°. The pilot heard a "metallic" snap, and the airplane went into a spin. The pilot recovered the airplane from the spin about 7,000 ft. He discovered that the right flap was partially deployed about 5° down and appeared to be crooked in its track. In addition, he noted a vibration from the right flap with restricted aileron control. The pilot stated that lateral control was difficult to maintain. After a radio conference with a mechanic and about 30 minutes of trying to control the airplane, the pilot chose to bail out of the airplane; he maneuvered the airplane over unpopulated farmland, shut down the engine, and parachuted. The pilot watched the airplane circle after his parachute deployed. The pilot landed and did not sustain injuries; the airplane impacted terrain and sustained substantial damage. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the right flap showed evidence of preimpact contact with the right aileron. There was about 1/2 inch of rubbed exposed primer in the area of the contact. The right flap appeared to be misaligned in its track, and the outboard portion of the flap would not freely extend from the retracted position. The outboard side of the flap was retracted, and the inboard side was extended in the track. Due to damage from impact forces, the preimpact condition of the flap rollers and tracks could not be determined. A broken control cable inboard of the flap bell crank was rusty in the area of separation. It is likely that the right flap interfered with the right aileron and thus resulted in restricted aileron movement in flight. Review of maintenance records did not show any recent work performed on the flap control system. The airplane had flown about 80 hours since its most recent annual inspection.
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
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during maneuvering defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during maneuvering
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › TE flap control system › Malfunction
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Scheduled/routine inspection › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 375 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 350 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 1, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,995 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 18, 2015; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,348 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 6,498 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FES Festus MO at 8:15 pm
- Destination: FES Festus MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.76 inHg
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.