Cessna 172 accident near Greenburg, Indiana, January 2, 1983
On January 2, 1983 at about 8:35 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N7230G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Greenburg, Indiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 2, 1983 · about 8:35 pm local time
- Place
- Greenburg, Indiana
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N7230G · registry record · serial 17258930
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE RPM BEGAN DROPPING WHILE HE WAS CRUSING AT 2500 FT. WHEN CARBURETOR HEAT WAS APPLIED, THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND GET IT TO 1200 PRM, BUT IT STOPPED AGAIN. A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN A SOFT FIELD WHERE THE PLANE NOSED OVER. AN INSPECTION AND OPERATIONAL CHECK OF THE ENGINE REVEALED NO PRECRASH, MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE. THE TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT WERE 34 AND 24 DEGREES, RESPECTIVELY. ACCORDING TO ICING PROBABILITY CHARTS, ICING COULD OCCUR IN IN FLOAT TYPE CARBURETORS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT THOSE TEMPERATURES.
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
- Flight time: 185 hours in all; 114 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 121 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,632 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 31, 1983; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Falls Of Rough KY
- Destination: Delphos OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,000 ft; not recorded at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from IN, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI83LA070.