- Date
- May 29, 1990, 08:38 local (15:38 UTC)
- Place
- Cucamonga, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N49565Cessna 182
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 23, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900529017779A
- Case key
- 26826
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 continuing VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions resulting in collision with terrain.
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 was cruising at 6,500 feet when he encountered a solid overcast cloud layer. The pilot reported that he made a descending 180 degree turn to find an alternate airport. The airplane collided with mountainous terrain at about 6,000 feet MSL. A weather briefing obtained by the pilot prior to flight indicated that ceilings were 6,000 to 8,000 feet with mountains obscured. Rescue personnel did not locate the wreckage for 10 hours due to poor weather conditions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N49565
- Reported as
- Cessna 182
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18267157
- Airframe hours
- 1,160
- Engine
- Continental O-470-U, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John R. Thomas
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 1989 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- BLH · Blythe, CA
- Destination
- POC · La Verne, CA
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 209 total · 26 in this make and model · 167 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.