Cessna 182 accident near Wheatfield, Indiana, September 30, 1998
On September 30, 1998 at about 9:45 am local time, a Cessna 182, registered N6474A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wheatfield, Indiana (Flying J airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to apply carburetor heat when the engine lost power. Factors associated with the accident were the carburetor icing conditions which prevailed, the low altitude at which the loss of power occurred, and the soybean crop in which the airplane was landed.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 30, 1998 · about 9:45 am local time
- Place
- Wheatfield, Indiana · Flying J · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N6474A · no longer on the register · serial 33274
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported the engine lost power during the initial takeoff climb at an altitude of about 130 feet agl. He made an emergency landing in a soybean field during which the nose gear collapsed. Inspection of the airplane failed to reveal any mechanical failure/malfunction which would have resulted in the loss of engine power. The temp/dewpoint reported at South Bend, Indiana, 46 miles northeast of the accident site were both 59 degrees F. This temperature/dewpoint combination is conducive for serious icing at cruise power. The pilot reported he inadvertently applied the cabin heat instead of the carburetor heat when the loss of power occurred.
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: 657 hours in all; 374 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,325 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 8, 1998; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: OKK Kokomo IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Visibility: 0.2 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 am from SBN, 46 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
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.