Cessna 182D accident near Marine City, Michigan, June 20, 1987
On June 20, 1987 at about 11:53 am local time, a Cessna 182D, registered N275T, was destroyed in an accident near Marine City, Michigan (Marine City airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. 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
- June 20, 1987 · about 11:53 am local time
- Place
- Marine City, Michigan · Marine City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182D · all 182Ds on the register
- Registration
- N275T · registry record · serial 53205
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A WITNESS RPRTD THAT DRG TAKEOFF, THE ACFT ROTATED TO A STEEP (NOSE UP) ATTITUDE, & IMMEDIATELY AFTER LIFT-OFF, THE PLT MADE A STEEP LEFT TURN & ENTERED A DOWNWIND FOR LNDG ON THE SAME RWY. HE DESCRIBED THE DOWNWIND AS BEING A LITTLE TIGHTER THAN NORMAL & A LITTLE LOW. HE NOTED A PWR RDCN WHEN THE ACFT WAS ABEAM THE RWY THRESHOLD. RPRTDLY, THE PLT MADEA TURN TO BASE LEG & BGN TO OVERSHOOT THE FINAL APCH PATH. ACCORDING TO THE WITNESS, THE ACFT ENTERED A VERY STEEP BASE TO FINAL TURN, THEN STALLED & BGN TO SPIN. RPRTDLY, THE SPIN STOPPED AFTER APRX 1/2 TURN, BUT THE ACFT STRUCK THE GND BFR THE PLT COULD RECOVER. THE ACFT WAS BADLY DMGD BY IMPACT & FIRE. NO PREIMPACT MECH PROBLEM WAS FND. A TOXICOLOGY RPRT INDCD THE AVAILABLE SPECIMEN OF THE PLT'S BLOOD WAS DILUTED WITH OTR BODY FLUIDS. THE SPECIMEN TESTED POSITIVE FOR ALCOHOL, BUT THE PLT'S BLOOD/ALCOHOL LVL WAS NOT DETERMINED. A TEST OF HIS URINE SHOWED AN ALCOHOL LVL OF 0.256% (256 ML/DL). PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE (A DECONGESTANT) WAS DETECTTED IN HIS URINE, BUT NONE WAS FND IN HIS BLOOD.
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: 250 hours in all; 10 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Destination: RLA Croswell MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 2,250 ft by 42 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 12,000 ft; scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 am from MTC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.