Cessna 182N accident near Marion, Ohio, April 2, 2005
On April 2, 2005 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 182N, registered N3292S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Marion, Ohio (Marion Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision which resulted in an encounter with icing conditions and the accretion of ice on the airframe. Also causal was the pilot's improper setting of the flaps in icing conditions in accordance with operating procedures which resulted in a stall/mush.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 2, 2005 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Marion, Ohio · Marion Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182N · all 182Ns on the register
- Registration
- N3292S · no longer on the register · serial 18260635
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Prior to departure, the pilot received a weather briefing, which included information about a low-pressure area that contained moisture, advisories for icing, and information about the freezing level that existed along his planned route of flight. While en route he was advised by air traffic control of pilot reports of icing, and other aircraft on the assigned radio frequency were reporting ice accretion. He requested lower altitudes and eventually elected to divert to an alternate airport where he performed an instrument approach. During the approach, he extended the flaps, and the airplane began descending at a rate that he could not arrest. The airplane impacted the ground short of the runway, in a wings level attitude and nosed over. The pilot stated that while in flight, he had observed ice adhering to the airframe and the windshield. When an airport employee arrived at the accident site, he estimated that the airplane's leading edges were covered with 1 to 1.5 inches of ice. The emergency procedures section of the owners manual revealed that, although flying into known icing conditions is prohibited, the pilot during an unexpected icing encounter, should plan a landing at the nearest airport, be prepared for a significantly higher stall speed, and to leave the wing flaps retracted.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 611 hours in all; 315 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 595 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,980 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2005; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470/TS (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MGW Morgantown WV at 7:30 pm
- Destination: DUH Lambertville MI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 25, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 21 knots, gusting 29
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 700 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.61 inHg
- Observation at 9:37 pm from MNN
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.