Cessna 182H accident near Harvard, Illinois, January 8, 2025
On January 8, 2025 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 1965 Cessna 182H, registered N1935V, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) start-up) near Harvard, Illinois (Dacy airport). It was a personal 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 failure to control the airplane during the engine start which resulted in a collision with the hangar.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 8, 2025 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Harvard, Illinois · Dacy · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182H, built 1965 · all 182Hs on the register
- Registration
- N1935V · no longer on the register · serial 18256260
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot moved the airplane from his hangar to go flying. The airplane was positioned about 20 ft from the edge of the hangar. The pilot stated that he initially had trouble starting the engine, so he advanced the throttle to full, and the engine started. The pilot stated that he held the brakes while he was starting the airplane and after the engine started, the airplane rolled into the edge of the hangar. The fuselage and left wing of the airplane sustained substantial damage during the collision. The pilot estimated that the entire event lasted about 2-3 seconds from engine start to the collision with the hangar. The airplane pilot operating handbook stated that the brake should be set before engine startup. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Inspection of the airplane’s brake and throttle systems did not reveal any pre-accident anomalies.
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
- Ground collision during standing (engine(s) start-up) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 4,070 hours in all; 2,500 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-470 (piston); 2,000 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 23°F (-5°C), dew point 3°F (-16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 1:15 pm from KDKB, 30 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KDKB 081915Z AUTO 30010KT 10SM SCT110 M05/M16 A3026 RMK AO2 T10511160
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on March 6, 2025. 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 | NTSB Form 6120 Pilot Operator Report CEN25LA072 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for the Record Pilot Telephone Call Summary CEN25LA072 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Statement CEN25LA072 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum for the Record FAA Reported Findings CEN25LA072 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Investigation Photos CEN25LA072 | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 6 | Excerpts from 1965 C182 POH Startup Procedures CEN25LA072 | PDF, 6 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.