Cessna 182G accident near Santa Maria, California, March 22, 2003
On March 22, 2003 at about 1:10 am local time, a Cessna 182G, registered N3236S, was destroyed in an accident near Santa Maria, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain proper runway alignment during the takeoff ground roll, which resulted in the left wing contacting the brush lining the runway edge. The combined effects of the brush and tree contact retarded the airplanes acceleration and resulted in the pilot's failure to attain an adequate airspeed in the takeoff initial climb, which resulted in an inadvertent stall mush. The pilot's failure to maintain the surrounding areas of the runway was a factor in the accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 22, 2003 · about 1:10 am local time
- Place
- Santa Maria, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182G · all 182Gs on the register
- Registration
- N3236S · no longer on the register · serial 18255736
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While taking off from his remote ranch airstrip, the pilot stalled the airplane and collided with trees and terrain. The pilot had been utilizing this airstrip for more than 20 years. The airstrip was a 1,200 by 50-foot dirt/grass runway that was oriented on a magnetic bearing of 050/230 degrees. On the north side of the runway edge were bushes that were from 6 to 20 feet in height. The south side of the runway had bushes that were 6 to 12 feet in height. At the end of the runway was a row of bushes that were about 10 to 12 feet in height. All of the bushes and trees in the area of the runway environment were overgrown. One hundred feet of the eastern end of the runway sloped uphill and appeared to be unusable. The pilot departed from the airstrip westbound. There were ground tracks indicating the airplane had veered to the left (south) side of the runway. On the south side of the runway, about 900 feet down the usable portion of the runway, there were bushes that were disturbed displaying broken twigs and branches. The damage to the bushes started at 6 feet high and continued to increase in height. About 920 feet down the runway, there was a red colored navigation lens found on the ground in the same area as the disturbed bushes. At the departure end of the runway there was another bush that had been trimmed flat about 10 to 12 feet high. About 75 feet west of the departure end of the runway was a row of trees that were perpendicular to the runway alignment; the tops of these trees were about 20 to 30 feet higher than the bushes located at the end of the runway. There was no evidence of any disruption or impact damage to the trees. The aircraft then impacted another stand of trees, which were 370 feet southwest from the departure end of the airstrip in a nose and left wing low attitude. No mechanical malfunctions were noted with the airplane or engine during the on scene investigation.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all
- Last flight review: January 8, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 16, 2003
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Santa Maria CA at 1:10 am
- Destination: WHP Pacoima CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
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.