Cessna 182RG accident near Worcester, Massachusetts, June 11, 2002
On June 11, 2002, a Cessna 182RG, registered N4652T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Worcester, Massachusetts (Worcester Regional 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 failure of the nose wheel actuator o-ring.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 11, 2002
- Place
- Worcester, Massachusetts · Worcester Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182RG · all 182RGs on the register
- Registration
- N4652T · registry record · serial R18201725
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot preflighted the airplane and noted no anomalies with the nosewheel assembly. He completed one flight without incident, and departed on a second. The flight progressed without incident until the airplane neared the pilot's planned destination. At that point, the pilot heard the landing gear motor activate, and continued to run. He performed the emergency gear extension procedure, and after determining the landing gear was not locked down, the pilot performed an emergency landing. The airplane touched down, and slid down and off the runway, substantially damaging the horizontal stabilizer. Examination of the nose wheel actuator revealed the piston o-ring had failed.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,420 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 2,359 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 16, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,839 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 24, 2001; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-J3C5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AVL Asheville NC at 9:00 pm
- Destination: ORH Worcester MA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 33, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.