Cessna 182 accident near Jasper, Minnesota, August 10, 2007
On August 10, 2007 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182, registered N52998, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jasper, Minnesota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot's inadequate preflight. The false indication of the fuel remaining in the fuel tanks and the corn crop were factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 2007 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Jasper, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N52998 · registry record · serial 18262996
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage during a forced landing to a cornfield after a loss of engine power. The pilot reported that he had departed from a grass airstrip with the fuel selector set to the right fuel tank. He reported that the fuel gauges indicated that most of the fuel on board the airplane was in the right fuel tank, and "very little" fuel in the left fuel tank. He reported that the engine lost power "shortly after takeoff," and he executed a forced landing to a cornfield. The inspection of the airplane revealed that there was about 20 gallons of fuel in the left fuel tank. When electric power was applied to the airplane, the right fuel gauge read 1/2 fuel remaining and the left fuel gauge indicated low fuel. The airplane's Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) stated that the fuel selector should be set to BOTH during takeoff.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 942 hours in all; 233 in this make and model; 79 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 844 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-470-F27 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Jasper MN at 10:00 pm
- Destination: LYV Laverne MN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.