Cessna R182 accident near Lambertville, Michigan, July 6, 1990
On July 6, 1990 at about 8:20 pm local time, a Cessna R182, registered N757DG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lambertville, Michigan (Toledo-Suburban airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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
PILOT IN COMMAND'S MIS-PLACEMENT OF THE AIRPLANES LANDING GEAR LEVER IN THE 'UP' POSITION WHILE THE AIRPLANE WAS ON THE GROUND, THEREBY ALLOWING THE LANDING GEAR SQUAT SWITCH, LOCATED IN THE NOSE GEAR COMPARTMENT, TO FUNCTION AS A RETRACTING CONTROLLER DURING THE SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF PROCEDURE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 6, 1990 · about 8:20 pm local time
- Place
- Lambertville, Michigan · Toledo-Suburban · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna R182 · all R182s on the register
- Registration
- N757DG · registry record · serial 01218
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
UPON COMPLETION OF MAINTENANCE ON THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTION/EXTENSION PUMP THE PILOT CONDUCTED STATIC TESTS BY MOVING THE LANDING GEAR LEVER UP AND DOWN. SATISFIED WITH THE REPAIR, THE PILOT INITIATED A TEST FLIGHT BY PERFORMING A SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF. THE AIRPLANES PROPELLER BEGAN STRIKING THE RUNWAY DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL. THE PILOT FOLLOWED THRU WITH A LIFTOFF AND DECIDED TO RETRACT THE LANDING GEAR DUE TO FEARS OF A FLIP OVER WHEN LANDING WITH A RETRACTED NOSEWHEEL. THE AIRPLANE LANDED GEAR UP ON THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY.
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
What happened, in order
- NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED during takeoff - roll/run
- IN FLIGHT COLLISION WITH TERRAIN/WATER during landing
Pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land, none, APLN, none
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 53 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 3,890 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: class 2
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,680 hours
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-JCC5D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: 5G9 at 8:36 pm
- Destination: 5G9
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 3,900 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,500 ft; not recorded at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 72°C, dew point 50°C
- Altimeter: 30 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from TOL, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 CHI90LA170.