Cessna 182 accident near Shelbyville, Indiana, November 16, 1999
On November 16, 1999 at about 3:08 am local time, a Cessna 182, registered N5388B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Shelbyville, Indiana (Shelbyville Municipal airport). It was a personal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the inadequate preflight planning by the pilot and the exhaustion of usable fuel. A factor was the drainage ditch encountered on landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 16, 1999 · about 3:08 am local time
- Place
- Shelbyville, Indiana · Shelbyville Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N5388B · registry record · serial 33388
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot made a forced landing following a loss of engine power. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunction. He also stated that the landing was normal until he encountered a drainage ditch that caused the plane to nose over. A postaccident examination of the aircraft by a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector revealed no evidence of fuel within the fuel tanks. The fuel tanks were found to be intact. No preexisting anomalies were found with respect to the airframe, engine or systems.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 300 hours in all; 99 in this make and model; 71 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 207 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,220 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 12, 1999; 75 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WDR Winder GA at 11:40 pm
- Destination: UMP Indianapolis IN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 360° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 am from IND, 24 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI00LA031.