Cessna 182J accident near Paradise, California, December 3, 2000
On December 3, 2000 at about 11:26 pm local time, a Cessna 182J, registered N182DD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Paradise, California (Paradise Skypark airport). It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Fuel exhaustion during a descent due to an inadequate fuel supply. Contributing factors were the pilot's improper preflight planning, his misjudged altitude while performing the emergency landing, and his lack of certificate qualification and recent flight experience/currency.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 3, 2000 · about 11:26 pm local time
- Place
- Paradise, California · Paradise Skypark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182J · all 182Js on the register
- Registration
- N182DD · registry record · serial 18257506
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After discharging three parachutists into a drop zone from about 12,000 feet mean sea level, the pilot attempted to return to the departure airport. The engine began surging as the airplane descended through 8,000 feet. The pilot continued the descent and entered the departure airport's traffic pattern. He misjudged his distance from the runway, and when all engine power was lost turning onto the final approach leg he was unable to glide to the runway. The airplane impacted terrain about 250 feet short of the landing threshold whereupon it nosed over. Regarding the pilot's qualifications, he was 5 months overdue in his performance of a biennial flight review, and he had not flown during the previous 90 days. The pilot had alleged to the firm which used his piloting services that he possessed a commercial pilot certificate and had at least 4,000 hours of flight time. On a May 2000 application for an FAA medical certificate, the pilot indicated that he held a commercial pilot certificate and had 8,100 hours of total flight time. According to the FAA, no record exists of the pilot holding any certificate in the United States other than that of private pilot. The pilot subsequently reported to the Safety Board that he had about 1,905 hours of flight time. A reconstruction of the fuel load carried during the accident flight in concert with the fuel burn off rates revealed that, at the time of the crash, the approximate quantity of fuel on board was 4.4 gallons. According to the Cessna Aircraft Company, the unusable fuel for each tank is 2.5 gallons, or a total of 5 gallons.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,905 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 0 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: April 29, 1998
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,973 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 20, 2000; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Q88 Paradise CA
- Destination: Q88 Paradise CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 2,700 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Wind: from 290° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 11:48 pm from CIC, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.