Cessna 185A accident near Fillmore, California, August 16, 2002
On August 16, 2002 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna 185A, registered N4145Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fillmore, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's continued visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the in-flight collision with terrain during a climb.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 2002 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fillmore, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185A · all 185As on the register
- Registration
- N4145Y · no longer on the register · serial 1850345
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot made a precautionary landing in a riverbed after impacting a hill while in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The pilot departed on a visual flight rules cross-country flight after checking the weather at the local destination area. According to the pilot, he was aware of the broken and overcast cloud layers at his destination but thought that the conditions would improve by the time of his arrival. Upon arrival at the destination airport, he entered instrument conditions and initiated a climb in an attempt to climb out of the clouds. The airplane impacted a hill and the emergency locator transmitter activated. He later noticed that his landing gear was missing. He elected to make a precautionary landing in a riverbed instead of attempting to land at his original destination airport. The weather observation facilities in the vicinity of the destination airport were reporting IMC throughout the morning of the accident.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,130 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 15 in the last 30 days; 980 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 21, 2002
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FAT Fresno CA at 4:30 pm
- Destination: SZP Santa Paula CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,100 ft; clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from CMA, 14 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.
Other NTSB records under N4145Y 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.