Cessna 182G accident near Manistee, Michigan, April 23, 2017
On April 23, 2017 at about 3:25 pm local time, a 1964 Cessna 182G, registered N2056R, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Manistee, Michigan. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the airplane owner and maintenance personnel to follow the propeller manufacturer's recommend overhaul schedule, which resulted in a fatigue fracture of the propeller blade actuating pin and a loss of thrust in flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 23, 2017 · about 3:25 pm local time
- Place
- Manistee, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182G, built 1964 · all 182Gs on the register
- Registration
- N2056R · no longer on the register · serial 18255256
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was in cruise flight about 2,500 ft mean sea level during a cross-country flight when he noted an engine vibration and loss of power, which he could not remediate. The pilot performed a forced landing to a field, during which the airplane nosed over. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. One of the two propeller blades was rotated about 90° and was beyond its high pitch limit. The high pitch angle of the blade would have resulted in high drag and/or loss of propulsive thrust. Disassembly and metallurgical examination of the hub of the rotated propeller revealed that its blade actuating pin had fractured in high-cycle fatigue. According to a manufacturer's service bulletin, the propeller should be overhauled at 1,500 hours or 60 calendar months, whichever occurs first. Propeller logbooks showed that the accident propeller was last overhauled nearly 24 years and over 1,592 hours before the accident. It is likely that compliance with the manufacturer's recommended overhaul schedule would have resulted in the fatigued pin being replaced.
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 maintenance event during prior to flight
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Propeller system › Propeller assembly › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Scheduled/routine maintenance › Owner/builder
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Scheduled/routine maintenance › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 894 hours in all; 689 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: March 26, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,902 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 24, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 3,902 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5Y1 Hessel MI at 2:10 pm
- Destination: 9D9 Hastings MI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from MBL, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on June 13, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo Log | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Record of Examinations | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Jpi Engine Monitoring Download | spreadsheet | Download |
| 6 | Propeller Logbooks | PDF, 19 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Mccauley Service Bulletins | PDF, 21 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 29 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.