Cessna 182P accident near Mokelumne Hill, California, August 2, 2002
On August 2, 2002 at about 10:05 pm local time, a Cessna 182P, registered N8290G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mokelumne Hill, California (Del Orto 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain the proper glidepath and failure to follow the manufacturer's recommended flap setting of 40 degrees, which resulted in an undershoot short of the runway. Factors include the runway's upslope and short length, which likely created the visual illusion of being high during the approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 2, 2002 · about 10:05 pm local time
- Place
- Mokelumne Hill, California · Del Orto · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N8290G · no longer on the register · serial 18263362
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane collided with terrain short of the runway while landing at a private airstrip. The 1,100-foot-long runway has a 5- to 7-percent upgrade to the south. While making a left downwind approach for a short field landing, the pilot had selected 20 degrees of flaps. Just short of the runway, the airplane sank about 10 feet, and "one second" later, the airplane impacted a dirt bank 2 feet short of the north edge of the runway. The pilot stated that "more altitude on final, use of full flaps" could have prevented the accident. The pilot's operating handbook for the airplane calls for a 40-degree-flap setting on short field and normal landings. No mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane were reported prior to the 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: 200 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 200 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 29, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,021 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 23, 2002; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AUN Auburn CA at 9:27 pm
- Destination: Mokelumne Hill CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 1,100 ft by 24 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.80 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 pm from KSAC, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.