Cessna 182B accident near Constantine, Michigan, September 26, 1983
On September 26, 1983 at about 3:15 am local time, a Cessna 182B, registered N2531G, was destroyed in an accident near Constantine, Michigan. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
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 26, 1983 · about 3:15 am local time
- Place
- Constantine, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182B · all 182Bs on the register
- Registration
- N2531G · registry record · serial 51831
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PLT WAS ON A X-COUNTRY FLT ON A DARK NIGHT. DURING THE FLT, THE ACFT CRASHED IN A CORN FIELD. JUST PRIOR TO THE INITIAL IMPACT, THERE WAS APRX A 15 DEG DESCENDING ANGLE CUT THRU THE CORN IN THE DIRECTION OF FLT & A 30 DEG ANGLE CUT TO THE RIGHT. GREEN LENS MATERIAL WAS FOUND AT/NEAR THE INITAIL IMPACT POINT. AN INVESTIGATION WAS MADE, BUT NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. ACCORING TO A WX SUMMARY, THE CLOUD BASES WERE ESTIMATED TO HAVE BEEN AT 1200 TO 1500 FT AGL, CLOUD TOPS AT 10,000 FT MSL, FLT VISIBILITY ZERO IN CLOUDS & GREATER THAN 3 MI BELOW THE CLOUDS, LIGHT TURBULENCE BELOW 10,000 FT MSL & FREEZING LEVEL ABOVE 10,000 FT.
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
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 5, 1982
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IND Indianapolis IN at 2:05 am
- Destination: GRR Grand Rapids MI
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 170° at 5 knots
- Sky: overcast; not recorded
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 am from SBN, 28 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.