# NTSB WPR25LA212: Cessna T240, N636CS, San Diego, CA, July 13, 2025

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: July 13, 2025, 16:29 local (23:29 UTC)
- Place: San Diego, CA · 470 nm west of SAN in the Pacific Ocean
- Coordinates: 32.81678, -117.14084 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.8168&lon=-117.1408&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 1 fatal
- Status: Completed, report May 14, 2026
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office: Western Pacific Region
- Parties: Federal Aviation Administration
- NTSB case key (mKey): 200551
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR25LA212
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/200551/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=200551
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25LA212

## Probable cause

Impact with the ocean for reasons that could not be determined because the pilot and airplane were not located.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna T240, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md?model=2073460), [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Enroute-cruise: Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna T240, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000/sequence.md?model=2073460), [All aircraft, 1,703 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000/sequence.md)
- [Unknown: Missing aircraft](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/990); cases with it: [Cessna T240, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/990/sequence.md?model=2073460), [All aircraft, 15 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/990/sequence.md)

## Analysis

A family friend reported the pilot and airplane missing. The friend stated that they drove the pilot to the departure airport, dropped him off and were meeting him at the intended destination airport. The friend became concerned when the pilot did not arrive and she began to track his location on via a commercial sourced ADS-B system. She also attempted to text him but noted that her messages were not being received by the pilot’s cell phone. Review of the recorded communication between the air traffic controller local controller at the destination airport and the accident pilot revealed that the controller had issued landing instructions for a straight-in approach to runway 28R, which the pilot acknowledged. The controller made repeated attempts to reestablish communication with the pilot; however, no further radio communication from the pilot was received. ADS-B data showed that the airplane’s flight track was consistent for an approach to landing on runway 28 at the destination airport, however, the airplane continued on a southwesterly heading for about 470 nautical miles until the ADS-B data was lost. An Alert Notice (ALNOT) was issued about 16 minutes after ADS-B contact had been lost and a search for the pilot and airplane commenced. Neither the pilot or airplane were located. Land and sea-based searches were suspended 2 days after the airplane went missing.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N636CS](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N636CS), registered now, S/N T24002046, built 2014 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA T240
- Registry model: [Cessna T240](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-t240) (registry code 2073460) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Continental TSIO-550-C](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-550-c) (registry code 17246, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: T24002046
- Year built: 2014
- Airframe hours: 1225
- Engines: CONT MOTOR TSIO-550-C 310 horsepower reciprocating
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, July 1, 2025
- Departed: RMN, Ramona, CA
- Destination: MYF, San Diego, CA
- Equipment: Unknown

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 67; injuries: unknown; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review September 25, 2023; flight hours: 3,300 total

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: calm
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 1,100 ft overcast
- Temperature: 66 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observed at: KMYF
- METAR: KMYF 130853Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM OVC011 19/15 A2998 RMK AO2 SLP149 T01890150 58005

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20250713007749A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250713007749A), Jul 13, 2025: Cessna T240, San Diego, CA, Destroyed, 1 fatal. On July 13, 2025, a Cessna 240 ttx departed ramona airport at approximately 13:51 on a VFR flight to montgomery gibbs executive in San Diego, CA. Aircraft…

## Docket (6 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 14, 2026, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=200551. 15.8 MB in all.

- Witness statements (item 1, PDF, 4 pages, 341 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20198183&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Witness%20Statements_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Excerpt FAA accident package flight summary (item 2, PDF, 9 pages, 3.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20201596&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Excerpt%20FAA%20Accident%20Package%20Flight%20Summary_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Maintenance records (item 3, PDF, 7 pages, 4.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20198361&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Excerpt%20Airplane%20Records_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- ADS-B data (kmz file) (item 4, KMZ, 255 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20267135&FileExtension=kmz&FileName=20250713_A85449_593888377-Rel.kmz
- ADS-B data (item 5, XLSX, 6.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20266731&FileExtension=xlsx&FileName=20250713_A85449_593888377_ADSB-Rel.xlsx
- Flight path (ADS-B plot) (item 6, PDF, 1 page, 391 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20265633&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=N636CS%20overhead%20view-Rel.pdf

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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