NTSB CHI89LA123 — 1989-07-02 · TECUMSEH, Michigan, United States

Current FAA registration · N3939D

Make / Model: CESSNA 182A
Year of manufacture: 1957 · 32 years old at event
Engine: CONT MOTOR O-470 SERIES (230 hp)
Seats / Engines: 4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19571001
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A49185

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N3939D Cessna 182A Minor

Probable cause & findings

LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON. THE EMBANKMENT (DIRT BANK) WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.

Factual narrative

THE PLT RPRTD THE ENG SUDDENLY LOST POWER AS THE ACFT WAS CLIMBING THRU AN ESTD ALT OF 685 FT AFTER TAKEOFF. HE STATED HE FOLLOWED THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST (INCLUDING THE USE OF CARB HEAT), BUT THE ENG WOULD NOT RESTART. DRG AN EMERGENCY LANDING, THE ACFT HIT AN EMBANKMENT & NOSED OVER. FERROUS & NON-FERROUS METALLIC MATERIAL WAS FOUND IN THE ENG OIL SCREEN, BUT A TEARDOWN OF THE ENG FAILED TO REVEAL ANY MECHANICAL PROBLEM. THE TEMP & DEW POINT WERE 83 & 69 DEG, RESPECTIVELY. ACCORDING TO ICING PROBABILITY CHARTS, CARB ICING WAS POSSIBLE AT GLIDE POWER, BUT ICING WOULD NOT HAVE ACCUMULATED AT RATED POWER. THE PLT NOTED THAT BEFORE THE FLT, HE DRAINED FUEL FROM EACH OF THE SUMPS, USING A SUMP DRAIN INSPN CUP, UNTIL HE WAS SATISFIED THERE WAS NO WATER OR OTHER CONTAMINATES VISIBLE IN THE FUEL SAMPLES. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_CHI89LA123.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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