Cessna 182 accident near Doniphan, Missouri, June 23, 2017
On June 23, 2017 at about 1:05 am local time, a 1975 Cessna 182, registered N1800M, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Doniphan, Missouri. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper decision to take off with a known fuel leak, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 23, 2017 · about 1:05 am local time
- Place
- Doniphan, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 P, built 1975 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N1800M · no longer on the register · serial 18264452
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported that, near the conclusion of a long cross-country flight, the engine suddenly lost partial power. He declared an emergency with air traffic control and was advised that the nearest airport was about 5 miles behind him. He reversed course and began heading toward the airport. Unable to reach the airport, the pilot initiated a landing to an open field. During the landing roll, the airplane collided with a fence and a detached garage. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and both wings. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed blue-colored fuel streaking from the right wing fuel cap to the trailing edge of the flap. Both fuel tanks were empty. The pilot reported that he was aware of that the right wing fuel cap was leaking before the accident flight and that it had been leaking since he purchased the airplane about 6 months before the accident.
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
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute defining event
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Malfunction
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Not serviced/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 237.6 hours in all; 109 in this make and model; 12.6 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 201.3 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 1, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,555 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-U13B (piston); 241 hours total
- Operator: Cape Flyers LLC.
The flight
- Departed from: ILE Killeen TX at 9:00 pm
- Destination: CGI Cape Girardeau MO
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 7,000 ft; a few clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 29.73 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on December 28, 2017. 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 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Joshua Lindberg (Cen Duty Officer) Accident Notification | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Accident Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.