Cessna 180J accident near Saline Valley, California, April 5, 2002
On April 5, 2002 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Cessna 180J, registered N7821K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Saline Valley, California (Saline Valley Airstrip airport). It was a personal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's loss of directional control during landing rollout after encountering a water erosion rut in the runway's uneven surface.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 5, 2002 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Saline Valley, California · Saline Valley Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180J · all 180Js on the register
- Registration
- N7821K · registry record · serial 18052755
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During landing rollout, the airplane encountered a deep water erosion depression in the runway's surface. Thereafter, the pilot lost directional control, and the airplane veered off the runway, collided with a rock, and nosed over. The gravel runway was not maintained and had an uneven washboard-like surface. During the previous 90 days, the pilot had landed at the airstrip about 6 times and had not experienced any mishap.
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: 689 hours in all; 532 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 678 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 21, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,226 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 6, 2001; 69 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-S (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2O3 Angwin CA at 5:44 pm
- Destination: BIH Bishop CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 36, 2,000 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 18,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from NID, 65 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N7821K the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX02LA127.