Cessna 182P accident near Port Clinton, Ohio, December 22, 1999
On December 22, 1999 at about 3:06 pm local time, a Cessna 182P, registered N1545M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Port Clinton, Ohio (Carl R. Keller 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
Loss of engine power caused by ice crystal blockage of the fuel system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 22, 1999 · about 3:06 pm local time
- Place
- Port Clinton, Ohio · Carl R. Keller Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N1545M · no longer on the register · serial 18264369
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane had been flown almost daily, for short flights. Four days before the accident, it was used for unusual attitude training. The accident occurred on the next flight. After a normal engine runup, and takeoff, the engine lost power at the departure end of the runway, at 300-400 feet agl. The pilot turned the STOL-equipped airplane back toward the field, but it struck trees, then impacted terrain near the approach end of the runway. Four propeller strikes were found in the frozen ground, and both blades were bent backwards at the hub. Both blades also exhibited leading edge nicks and chordwise scratching. The engine mixture control was found full forward, the throttle was 1 inch from full forward, the carburetor heat control was in the full-in, 'cold' position, and the fuel selector lever was on 'both'. The presence of fuel, engine cylinder compression, and crankshaft continuity were confirmed. Six days after the accident, an FAA inspector found that fuel drained from fuel sump filter had minor amounts of ice crystals floating in it. Air temperature at the time of the accident was about 18 degrees Fahrenheit.
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; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,048 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 900 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,722 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 22, 1999; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PCW at 3:06 pm
- Destination: OH30 Put-In-Bay OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,001 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 18°F (-8°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 pm from CLE, 45 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.