Cessna Ector 305A accident near South Lake Tahoe, California, April 9, 2018
On April 9, 2018 at about 11:45 pm local time, a 1964 Cessna Ector 305A, registered N1832, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near South Lake Tahoe, California (Lake Tahoe airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot receiving instruction’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 9, 2018 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- South Lake Tahoe, California · Lake Tahoe · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna Ector 305A NO SERIES, built 1964 · all 305As on the register
- Registration
- N1832 · no longer on the register · serial 2004
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the flight instructor in the tailwheel-equipped airplane, the pilot receiving instruction was on the flight controls during the landing roll. Near the end of the roll, the tail began to swerve, and the airplane ground looped to the right. The airplane exited the right side of the runway, and the left wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing spar and aileron. The pilots reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,074.8 hours in all; 62 in this make and model; 34.9 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 7,936.1 as pilot in command; 5,749 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 6, 2018
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 435.1 hours in all; 32 in this make and model; 52.2 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 279.6 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 27, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,262.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TVL South Lake Tahoe CA at 7:30 pm
- Destination: TVL South Lake Tahoe CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 8,541 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from KTVL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 28, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N1832 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.