Beech G18S accident near Indianapolis, Indiana, September 18, 1982
On September 18, 1982 at about 4:25 am local time, a Beech G18S, registered N730M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Indianapolis, Indiana (Indianapolis Intern. airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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
- September 18, 1982 · about 4:25 am local time
- Place
- Indianapolis, Indiana · Indianapolis Intern. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech G18S · all G18Ss on the register
- Registration
- N730M · no longer on the register · serial BA535
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE LEFT JUST AFTER ROTATION. HE PUSHED THE PROPELLER, POWER AND MIXTURE CONTROLS FORWARD. THE LEFT WING AND LEFT MAIN GEAR STRUCK THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT THEN BEGAN TO SPIN WHILE IN GROUND CONTACT. THE LEFT PROPELLER WAS FOUND IN A FEATHERED POSITION. FURTHER GROUND TESTING OF THE PROPELLER INDICATED NORMAL FUNCTIONING OF THE FEATHERING AND UNFEATHERING SYSTEM.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,750 hours in all; 1,550 in this make and model; 55 in the last 90 days; 45 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 989 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P & W R985 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Indianapolis Air Charter, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: IND Indianapolis IN at 11:25 pm
- Destination: C Columbus OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 31, 7,604 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 200° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 147°F (64°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.