Cessna 152 accident near Canton, Michigan, February 7, 1982
On February 7, 1982 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N46733, was substantially damaged in an accident near Canton, Michigan. It was an instructional 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 7, 1982 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Canton, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N46733 · no longer on the register · serial 15283096
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT WAS ON THE SECOND LEG OF HIS CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. HE LANDED IN A SNOW COVERED, PLOWED FIELD. AFTER ABOUT 60 FEET OF GROUND ROLL, THE PLANE NOSED OVER. THE STUDENT STATED THAT THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING ROUGH UNTIL HE APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT, AND THEN IT SMOOTHED OUT. HE STATED THAT HE CUT-OFF THE CARBURETOR HEAT, AND THEN ABOUT ONE MINUTE LATER, THE ENGINE QUIT. HOWEVER, ANOTHER PILOT STATED THAT HE HEARD THE STUDENT TRANSMIT THAT HE WAS GOING DOWN AND THAT HE WAS OUT OF FUEL OR EXPERIENCED FUEL STARVATION. ALSO, WHEN THE PLANE WAS EXAMINED BY TWO OTHER PERSONS, THEY FOUND NO FUEL IN THE PLANE AND NO EVIDENCE THAT FUEL HAD LEAKED ON THE SNOW COVERED TERRAIN. ADDITIONALLY, THE AIRCRAFT HAD NOT BEEN REFUELED DURING THE FIRST STOP OF THE CROSS-COUNTRY.
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: student
- Flight time: 38 hours in all; 37 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days; 15 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,149 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Ft. Wayne IN at 2:30 pm
- Destination: Ann Arbor MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N46733 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.