- Date
- December 21, 2001, 18:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Elkhart, IN
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor; on the ground: 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N58797Cessna 182P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 28, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20011221036539A
- Case key
- 53947
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 allowed the airplane's altitude to get too low while on final approach. A factor associated with the accident was the pickup truck which the airplane struck.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane contacted the passenger side of a pickup truck while on short final approach. Neither the pilot nor the driver of the truck saw each other prior to the accident. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane "too low" on final approach just prior to the collision. The witnesses reported that the nose gear of the airplane contacted the side of the truck. The airplane then contacted the ground and nosed over. The end of the runway is approximately 50 feet from the south edge of the road. The runway had a 200 foot displaced threshold.
Factual narrative
On December 21, 2001, at 1815 eastern standard time, a Cessna 182P, N58797, collided with a pickup truck while on short final approach to land on runway 21 (2,243 feet by 40 feet, asphalt) at the Mishawaka Pilots Club Airport, Elkhart, Indiana. The private pilot received serious injuries and the driver of the pickup truck received minor injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions with no flight plan. The flight originated from Ann Arbor, Michigan, at 1715 eastern standard time.
The pilot reported, "Turned Final 1200 MSL. Established final glide path. Reported to have hit roof of pickup truck on road below glide path."
The driver of the pickup truck reported, "I was driving west on CR 20 when all of the sudden I heard and felt a big crash. I did not know what had happen. I heard the noise and felt it, then the next thing I know I came to a stop by some mailboxes. I made it out of the truck and finally got a man to stop. He is the one who told me a plane had hit me."
Two witnesses reported seeing the accident. Both reported the airplane was approaching the airport "too low." They reported that the nose gear of the airplane contacted the passenger side of the pickup truck. They reported the airplane then contacted the ground between the road and the end of the runway. They said it contacted the ground nose first then it nosed over.
The end of the runway is approximately 50 feet from the south edge of the road. The runway had a 200 foot displaced threshold.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N58797
- Reported as
- Cessna 182P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18262302
- Airframe hours
- 4,985
- Engine
- Continental O-470-R-15, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Donald C. Camp
- Registered owner
- Mishawaka Air Activities, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 19, 2001 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- ARB · Ann Arbor, MI
- Destination
- 3C1 · Elkhart, IN
- Airport
- 3C1 · Mishawaka Pilots Club, runway 21, 2,243 × 40 ft, asphalt
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
- 77
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- April 27, 2000
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 988 total · 293 in this make and model · 900 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.29 inHg
- Observed at
- EKM, 6 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.