- Date
- May 27, 2012, 10:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Fowlerville, MI
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N287TCCessna 182
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- East Michigan FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120527026939I
- Case key
- 84046
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Probable cause
The airplane’s encounter with clear air turbulence, which caused a momentary loss of control and minor damage to the airplane.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The commercial pilot was maneuvering around clouds during a skydiving operation when the airplane abruptly made a steep bank to the left and continued to dive. He made control corrections to recover the airplane and soon after landed uneventfully. The pilot believed that he hit a patch of turbulence that caused the airplane to maneuver in such a manner. A postflight examination revealed wrinkles in the top skin of the airplane’s wings, which was later determined to be minor damage.
Factual narrative
The commercial pilot was maneuvering around clouds during a skydiving operation when the airplane abruptly made a steep bank to the left and continued to dive. He made control corrections to recover the airplane and soon after landed uneventfully. The pilot believes that he hit a patch of turbulence that caused the airplane to maneuver in such a manner. The pilot was a new skydiving pilot and was inexperienced with flying an airplane loaded with jumpers. The post incident examination revealed minor damage to the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N287TC
- Reported as
- Cessna 182 (N)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18260183
- Airframe hours
- 6,349
- Engine
- Continental O470, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Skydiving · Part 91
- Operator
- Capital City Skydiving
- Registered owner
- Aivcon Unc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 9, 2012
- Airport
- 65G · Maple Grove Airport, runway 27, 3,050 × 110 ft, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 24
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 14, 2011
- Flight hours
- 478 total · 159 in this make and model · 404 as pilot in command · 104 in the last 90 days · 67 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 12 knots, gusting 16
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Observed at
- KOZW
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 23, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.