- Date
- August 18, 1990, 22:00 local (Aug 19, 1990, 05:00 UTC)
- Place
- Temecula, CA
- Injuries
- 4 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2355XCessna 182H
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report November 23, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900818034329A
- Case key
- 26900
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 inadequate preflight that resulted in his continuing flight with an inoperative alternator.
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
While the pilot was enroute to his destination airport air traffic controllers advised him that they were not receiving his transponder signal. After landing he and three passengers took off for a night sightseeing flight after the runway lighting had transferred from continous 'on' to pilot control. Approximately 30 minutes after take off the aircraft returned for landing. When the pilot attempted to turn 'on' the runway lights by keying his radio transmitter the aircraft's cabin lights dimmed and the runway lighting failed to illuminate. The pilot elected to land on the unlit airport. During the ground roll the aircraft impacted one of the precision approach path indicators and a fence.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2355X
- Reported as
- Cessna 182H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18256255
- Engine
- Continental O-470-R15, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Armbruster, Alan E.
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Destination
- F70
- Airport
- F70 · French Valley, runway 18, 4,600 × 75 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
- 36
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 178 total · 8 in this make and model · 178 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- RIV, 26 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.