Cessna T182T accident near Munising, Michigan, September 2, 2008
On September 2, 2008 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Cessna T182T, registered N140NE, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (from runway) near Munising, Michigan (Hanley Field). 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadequate preflight planning/preparation by the pilot to carry a hazardous material aboard an airplane that resulted in a fire during an after-landing taxi.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 2, 2008 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Munising, Michigan · Hanley Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T182T · all T182Ts on the register
- Registration
- N140NE · registry record · serial T182-08025
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot placed a gasoline-powered "weed whip" on the rear passenger seats of the airplane for a personal flight. The pilot smelled a "strong" smell of gasoline as the airplane touched down for landing at the destination airport. During the after-landing taxi, the engine end of the weed whip fell behind the two front seats. The pilot stated that he reached back and placed the weed whip back onto the seats and "something caused it to ignite." The pilot stated that he was charging his cell phone where the weed whip was located. The pilot stated that the smoke was so bad that he pulled the mixture control to idle cutoff and exited the airplane. The pilot was uninjured. The airplane was then consumed by fire.
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
- Hazardous material leak/spill during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during taxi (from runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,381 hours in all; 2,600 in this make and model; 67 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 540-AK1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: ACB Bellaire MI
- Destination: 5Y7 Munising MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.