Cessna 182B accident near Medford, New Jersey, July 6, 1997
On July 6, 1997, a Cessna 182B, registered N166KM, was destroyed in an accident near Medford, New Jersey (South Jersey Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An inflight engine fire of undetermined origin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 6, 1997
- Place
- Medford, New Jersey · South Jersey Regional
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182B · all 182Bs on the register
- Registration
- N166KM · registry record · serial 51646
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had flown three circuits in the traffic pattern before he landed and shut the engine down to await hot air balloon traffic to depart the area. According to the pilot, '(The engine) was running great. Everything sounded normal and looked normal. About half way down on final I heard something between a bang and a thump. I don't know where it came from. The aircraft tried to nose up - started to pitch up, so I pushed the nose down. I didn't touch the throttle because I didn't want it to pitch up. I lost some altitude in a critical spot [and] struck the nose gear on the end of the runway. We went skidding down the runway on the nose. There were sparks and then out and out flames.' According to a witness, 'After they waited for the balloons, they did a fourth pattern. They were coming in on final when I heard a 'pow' noise - a loud 'pop'. After the 'pop', the plane came down like someone dropping a ball. I saw flames coming out of the cowlings while it was still in the air. The airplane touched down and the [nose] wheel popped back. The airplane slid for a short ways on the nose with the tail up in the air. Then the flames came from underneath and around the cabin.' Extensive fire damage precluded determination of the origin or what initiated the fire.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,160 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 960 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,362 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 30, 1997; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VAY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 3,911 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.