What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 7, 2026, about 1055 pacific daylight time (PDT), a Cessna 182T airplane, privacy data omitted, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near armistead, California. According to archived automatic dependent surveillance–broadcast (ADS-B) data from opsvue, flightaware, and the federal aviation administration, the airplane departed Inyokern airport (iyk) about 1047. Data shows the airplane traveled southwest towards the el paso mountains for about 7 minutes before turning to fly up a steep, narrow canyon. The final available data point was located about a half mile northwest of the accident site at 1054. The altitude of the airplane at this data point was 3425 ft. the wreckage was located about 3771 ft in elevation on the side of a steep, rocky canyon about 1000 ft in width. The aircraft impacted the rock-covered hillside in a left-wing-low flight attitude. All four corners of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site. The outboard portion of the left wing was bent upward and aft from impact damage. A large rock was embedded in the lower leading edge of the left wing, just inboard of the deformation. The fuselage, empennage, and inboard right wing were consumed by a post-impact fire. The wreckage came to rest with the engine facing downhill on a northeast. The propeller assembly was still attached to the engine. One propeller blade came detached from the hub during impact and was found about 30 feet north-northwest of the main wreckage site. Additional small pieces of debris were strewn along a path to the north-northwest of the main wreckage. This is a preliminary investigation at this time.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 7, 2026, ABOUT 1055 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME (PDT), A CESSNA 182T AIRPLANE, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR ARMISTEAD, CALIFORNIA. ACCORDING TO ARCHIVED AUTOMATIC DEPENDENT SURVEILLANCE–BROADCAST (ADS-B) DATA FROM OPSVUE, FLIGHTAWARE, AND THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED INYOKERN AIRPORT (IYK) ABOUT 1047. DATA SHOWS THE AIRPLANE TRAVELED SOUTHWEST TOWARDS THE EL PASO MOUNTAINS FOR ABOUT 7 MINUTES BEFORE TURNING TO FLY UP A STEEP, NARROW CANYON. THE FINAL AVAILABLE DATA POINT WAS LOCATED ABOUT A HALF MILE NORTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE AT 1054. THE ALTITUDE OF THE AIRPLANE AT THIS DATA POINT WAS 3425 FT. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED ABOUT 3771 FT IN ELEVATION ON THE SIDE OF A STEEP, ROCKY CANYON ABOUT 1000 FT IN WIDTH. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE ROCK-COVERED HILLSIDE IN A LEFT-WING-LOW FLIGHT ATTITUDE. ALL FOUR CORNERS OF THE AIRPLANE WERE ACCOUNTED FOR AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE OUTBOARD PORTION OF THE LEFT WING WAS BENT UPWARD AND AFT FROM IMPACT DAMAGE. A LARGE ROCK WAS EMBEDDED IN THE LOWER LEADING EDGE OF THE LEFT WING, JUST INBOARD OF THE DEFORMATION. THE FUSELAGE, EMPENNAGE, AND INBOARD RIGHT WING WERE CONSUMED BY A POST-IMPACT FIRE. THE WRECKAGE CAME TO REST WITH THE ENGINE FACING DOWNHILL ON A NORTHEAST. THE PROPELLER ASSEMBLY WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE ENGINE. ONE PROPELLER BLADE CAME DETACHED FROM THE HUB DURING IMPACT AND WAS FOUND ABOUT 30 FEET NORTH-NORTHWEST OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE SITE. ADDITIONAL SMALL PIECES OF DEBRIS WERE STREWN ALONG A PATH TO THE NORTH-NORTHWEST OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THIS IS A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION AT THIS TIME.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.