- Date
- November 8, 1989, 19:05 local (Nov 9, 1989, 03:05 UTC)
- Place
- San Diego, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2257TCessna R182
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report September 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891108044749A
- Case key
- 26601
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 continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and his failure to maintain aircraft control after becoming spatially disoriented. Factors in the acident were: darkness, adverse weather conditions, and the pilot's lack of instrument experience.
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 pilot attempted a night special VFR approach to the airport when he was not night current. He did not hold an instrument rating. The pilot obtained three weather reports for the airport, while en route. These established that conditions were IFR with visibilities less than 2 miles in fog. The pilot accepted the special VFR clearance and reported inbound to the airport from the north. Shortly thereafter, he reported over a prison, which was 4 miles north east of the airport. The prisoners said the aircraft orbited one of the guard towers two or three times, then departed to the north west. The official visibility reported by the ATCT was one mile in fog; witnesses at the prison stated the ground visibility was less than a mile with areas of heavy fog. The aircraft collided with the ground in a descent measured at 11 degrees with a right wing down about 20 degrees. No preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures were identified during examination of the wreckage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2257T
- Reported as
- Cessna R182
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- R18200011
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-J3C5D, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Robie E. Ratliff
- Departed
- VNY · Van Nuys, CA
- Destination
- SDM
- Airport
- runway 0R
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
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 1,932 total · 532 in this make and model · 1,861 as pilot in command · 43 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SDM, 1 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.