Cessna 182L accident near Louisville, Kentucky, May 7, 2008
On May 7, 2008 at about 1:37 pm local time, a Cessna 182L, registered N42116, was substantially damaged in an accident during emergency descent near Louisville, Kentucky (Bowman Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total fatigue failure of the No. 5 piston during climb.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 7, 2008 · about 1:37 pm local time
- Place
- Louisville, Kentucky · Bowman Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182L · all 182Ls on the register
- Registration
- N42116 · no longer on the register · serial 18258858
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he departed the airport with the intention of completing a cross-country flight. About 10 miles from the airport, the engine started running rough, and he immediately turned back to the airport. While on short final approach, the engine stopped and the pilot executed a forced landing to a residential area. Examination of the engine revealed that the No. 5 piston (part No. 626992) failed due to a fatigue fracture. Dark deposits on the fracture indicated that the crack existed prior to the event, and the origin area was obliterated by postfracture damage. Review of service difficulty reports (SDR) for an approximate 10-year period, revealed that given the low incidence of cracking in part No. 626992 pistons, it is likely that the cracking was a result of an operational condition, and not a result of a defect in a batch of pistons.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (climb to cruise)
- Loss of engine power (total) during emergency descent defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR pattern final)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,135 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2007; 39 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental O-470 (25) (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LOU Louisville KY at 1:15 pm
- Destination: BMG Bloomington IN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 10,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 1:43 pm from LOU, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.