Cessna 182P accident near Elkhart, Indiana, December 21, 2001
On December 21, 2001 at about 11:15 pm local time, a Cessna 182P, registered N58797, was substantially damaged in an accident near Elkhart, Indiana (Mishawaka Pilots Club airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot allowed the airplane's altitude to get too low while on final approach. A factor associated with the accident was the pickup truck which the airplane struck.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 21, 2001 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Elkhart, Indiana · Mishawaka Pilots Club · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N58797 · no longer on the register · serial 18262302
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane contacted the passenger side of a pickup truck while on short final approach. Neither the pilot nor the driver of the truck saw each other prior to the accident. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane "too low" on final approach just prior to the collision. The witnesses reported that the nose gear of the airplane contacted the side of the truck. The airplane then contacted the ground and nosed over. The end of the runway is approximately 50 feet from the south edge of the road. The runway had a 200 foot displaced threshold.
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
- Flight time: 988 hours in all; 293 in this make and model; 1 in the last 30 days; 900 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 27, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,985 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 19, 2001; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R-15 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ARB Ann Arbor MI at 10:15 pm
- Destination: 3C1 Elkhart IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 2,243 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 pm from EKM, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.