- Date
- September 20, 1983, 13:05 local (20:05 UTC)
- Place
- Joshua Tree, CA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5437BCessna 182
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830920050199A
- Case key
- 23860
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 plt reported that he was flying under a 2000 ft MSL cloud layer while en route from san carlos, CA to glendale, AZ. He flew into a valley & the clouds began closing in. He then made a 180 deg turn, but the clouds had closed in behind him. He attempted a precautionary landing on a road in the Joshua Tree national monument. However, during the roll-out, the left wing of the acft contacted a Joshua Tree & the acft was substantially damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5437B
- Reported as
- Cessna 182
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 33437
- Engine
- Continental O-470L, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Richard Dennis Capek
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SQL · San Carlos, CA
- Destination
- P37 · Glendale, AZ
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 900 total · 500 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Lowest ceiling
- 100 ft overcast
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.