- Date
- May 20, 2026, 16:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Northport, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N86289Cessna 182P
- Defining event
- Taxi-from runway: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 11, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Grand Rapids FSDO
- FAA report
- 20260520007589A
- Case key
- 203107
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to resume taxiing on a turf runway that was unable to adequately support the airplane's weight, which resulted in the nose landing gear sinking into the soft ground and the propeller striking the terrain.
Findings · 3
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 pilot conducted an aerial inspection of the grass runway before landing and observed no indications that the surface was unsuitable for operations. The landing was uneventful; however, during a subsequent turn to back taxi, the right main landing gear became stuck in soft terrain. After freeing the airplane, the pilot elected to use a soft-field takeoff technique to taxi the airplane to a drier portion of the runway. During this attempt, the nosewheel encountered another area of soft terrain, sank into the ground, and the propeller struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N86289
- Reported as
- Cessna 182P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18261923
- Built
- 1973
- Airframe hours
- 6,285
- Engine
- Continental Motors O-470R74B, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 3, 2025 · 44 hours before
- Departed
- MBL · Manistee, MI
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 6Y3 · North Fox Island Airport, runway 07, 3,001 × 100 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Stall warning system
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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 23, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 526 total · 526 in this make and model · 526 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.31 inHg
- Icing
- Clear
- Turbulence
- Unknown
- Observed at
- KSJX, 15 nm away
- METAR
- KSJX 201955Z AUTO 33007KT 310V010 10SM CLR 10/M00 A3031 RMK AO2
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 10, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.4 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.