Cessna 182B accident near Lowell, Massachusetts, October 29, 1989
On October 29, 1989 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 182B, registered N2537G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lowell, Massachusetts. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ASSURE THAT THE FLOAT WHEELS WERE RETRACTED PRIOR TO A WATER LANDING. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE EXTENSION OF THE LEFT FLOAT WHEELS FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 29, 1989 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lowell, Massachusetts
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182B · all 182Bs on the register
- Registration
- N2537G · registry record · serial 51837
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLOAT EQUIPPED CESSNA 182 MADE A WATER LANDING WITH THE LEFT WHEELS EXTENDED. THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER AND THE FLOATS SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE FLOATS ARE EQUIPED WITH VISUAL INDICATORS TO INDICATE WHEN THE WHEELS ARE EXTENDED (RED) OR NOT EXTENDED (RED NOT VISIBLE). POST CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE FLOATS SHOWED THE LEFT FLOAT HAD WHEELS EXTENDED AND THE RED MARKER WAS MOSTLY VISIBLE. ON THE RIGHT FLOAT, THE WHEELS WERE RETRACTED AND THE MARKER WAS BARELY VISIBLE.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 378 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 263 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 7, 1989; 1,375 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,850 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: B09 Tewksbury MA at 7:15 pm
- Destination: Lowell MA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.