Cessna 182S accident near Little River, California, November 1, 2001
On November 1, 2001 at about 2:00 am local time, a Cessna 182S, registered N7270E, was destroyed in an accident near Little River, California (Little River airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in a collision with trees and terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 1, 2001 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Little River, California · Little River · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182S · all 182Ss on the register
- Registration
- N7270E · no longer on the register · serial 18280480
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While making a Visual Flight Rules approach in Instrument Flight Rules conditions, the airplane impacted trees and terrain 1.5 miles from the airport. There is no record that the pilot requested or received a weather briefing for the flight. A witness at the airport said that he heard an aircraft circling in the vicinity of the airport; however, he could not see it because of the low clouds and fog over the field. Using his hand-held radio on the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) 122.7, the witness established contact with the pilot. The pilot said he was trying to land at the airport, and at one point could see the runway lights through the fog, but had lost sight of the runway. The witness then heard the aircraft continue to the east at what sounded like a reduced power setting. The witness did not hear any unusual engine sounds emanating from the airplane. There was no further communications from the pilot. A resident living near the crash site heard the sounds of an impact and reported the event to the sheriff's department. Search efforts were hampered by fog and low visibility conditions and the wreckage was not located until about 1000 the next day. The accident site is 1.5 miles north east of the airport at an elevation about 200 feet higher than the runway. The airport manager estimated the visibility to be about 1-mile with a 300-foot ceiling. Examination of the engine and airframe revealed no discrepancies.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,200 hours in all; 80 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 399 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 10, 2001
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-AB15A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: PAO Palo Alto CA at 1:00 am
- Destination: O48 Little River CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 5,253 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 100° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,000 ft; ovct
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 am from UKI, 26 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.