Cessna TR182 accident near Bloomington, Indiana, May 7, 2016
On May 7, 2016 at about 3:15 am local time, a 1978 Cessna TR182, registered N9281R, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Bloomington, Indiana (Monroe County 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain the airplane's descent rate resulting in a hard landing, and subsequent substantial damage to the firewall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 7, 2016 · about 3:15 am local time
- Place
- Bloomington, Indiana · Monroe County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna TR182 NO SERIES, built 1978 · all TR182s on the register
- Registration
- N9281R · registry record · serial R18200678
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot of the retractable landing gear airplane, he retracted the landing gear after departure, however, the landing gear warning horn continued to sound. After multiple extensions and retractions in hopes of correcting the issue, he decided to continue the flight with the landing gear extended. The pilot reported that he made an approach at his destination airport, bounced the landing, and taxied to parking. He reported the aforementioned events to the operator, and further inspection revealed substantial damage to the firewall. Further inspection by the operator's mechanics, accompanied by the Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Safety Inspector, revealed that the landing gear warning horn sounded in the retracted position, as a result of an intermittent fault in the throttle position micro-switch.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › Electrical pwr sys wiring › Inoperative
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent rate › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 119 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 94 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 28, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,557.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 15, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-L3C5D (piston); 2,317 hours total
- Operator: Bmg Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: LUK Cincinnati OH at 1:30 am
- Destination: BMG Bloomington IN
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 17, 6,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 230° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from KBMG, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on July 26, 2016. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N9281R 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.