Cessna 182H accident near East Jordan, Michigan, March 23, 1996
On March 23, 1996 at about 6:29 pm local time, a Cessna 182H, registered N8427S, was destroyed in an accident near East Jordan, Michigan (East Jordan City airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the terrain during the landing. Factors related to the accident were the snow covered ice pile at the end of the runway and the pilot's perception of the height of the pile.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 23, 1996 · about 6:29 pm local time
- Place
- East Jordan, Michigan · East Jordan City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182H · all 182Hs on the register
- Registration
- N8427S · no longer on the register · serial 18256527
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness reported seeing the airplane flying low prior to the nose dropping and it contacting the ground. Two other witnesses reported hearing the engine 'sputtering' and 'cutting out' prior to it regaining normal power. The airplane contacted a 3 to 4 foot high snow covered ice pile near the approach end of the runway. The airplane contacted the pile in a nose down attitude, and it came to rest approximately 150 feet down the runway. The runway has a 125 foot displaced threshold. Postaccident inspection of the airframe, and testing of the engine failed to reveal any anomalies.
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: 322 hours in all; 14 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,436 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 8, 1995; 29 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Y94
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,250 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:15 pm from ACB, 11 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.