- Date
- August 26, 1990, 16:45 local (23:45 UTC)
- Place
- Calexico, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2985ACessna 180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 23, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900826038859A
- Case key
- 26905
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 aircraft's encounter with unfavorable wind, a dust devil, that rendered the aircraft uncontrollable.
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 observed dust devils in the vicinity of the runway as he neared the airport for landing. As the aircraft neared the runway on final approach the pilot lost control and the aircraft impacted the runway. After the initial impact the aircraft bounced into the air and turned left and collided with the ground again.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2985A
- Reported as
- Cessna 180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30185
- Engine
- Continental O-470-A, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Thompson, James V.
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Departed
- LTO · Loeto, Baja
- Destination
- CXL
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- CXL · Calexico Int'L, runway 26, 4,330 × 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
- 45
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 850 total · 375 in this make and model · 650 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- IPL, 10 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.