Cessna 182P accident near French Lick, Indiana, May 19, 1995
On May 19, 1995 at about 9:35 pm local time, a Cessna 182P, registered N52830, was substantially damaged in an accident near French Lick, Indiana (French Lick Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's not attaining a recovery from a bounced landing. Factors were high obstructions, and the pilot's intentional precautionary landing on rough/uneven and soft terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 19, 1995 · about 9:35 pm local time
- Place
- French Lick, Indiana · French Lick Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N52830 · no longer on the register · serial 18262880
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON LANDING THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED TWICE AFTER WHICH THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO ABORT THE LANDING. THE PILOT FEARED THAT THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT CLIMB OVER TREES IN THE DEPARTURE PATH OF THE AIRPLANE AND PERFORMED A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING OFF THE RUNWAY ON ROUGH, UNEVEN,AND SOFT TERRAIN.
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: 150 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 75 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,013 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 22, 1995; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AZO Kalamazoo MI at 9:00 pm
- Destination: FRH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 5,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from HNB, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N52830 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.