- Date
- November 3, 2025, 12:50 local (20:50 UTC)
- Place
- San Andreas, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N1303SCessna 182P
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 12, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20251103017229A
- Case key
- 201957
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 decision to adjust his seat during the takeoff roll, which resulted in the seat sliding aft and a subsequent loss of directional control.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the airplane reported that during the takeoff roll he attempted to adjust his seat forward. The seat slid to the full aft position. As a result, the pilot could no longer reach the pedals to maintain directional control. The airplane subsequently departed the runway and nosed over. The pilot was seriously injured and the airplane fuselage, wings and empennage sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1303S
- Reported as
- Cessna 182P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18264869
- Built
- 1976
- Airframe hours
- 3,783.9
- Engine
- Continental O-470-S, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 5, 2024
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- CPU · Calaveras County Maury Rasmussen Field, runway 31, 3,602 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Satellite tracking device, Electronic primary flight display, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Electronic multifunction display
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
- 69
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 10, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 457 total · 116 in this make and model · 217 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- CPU, 5 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KCPU 032055Z AUTO 26005KT 10SM CLR 25/10 A3003 RMK AO2 T02500095
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 12, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.7 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.