Cessna 182 accident near Brownsville, California, August 25, 2003
On August 25, 2003 at about 1:11 am local time, a Cessna 182, registered N6250A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Brownsville, California (Brownsville airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper flare and his failure to maintain directional control. Contributing factors were excessive airspeed, pilot-induced oscillation, and inadequate recovery from a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 25, 2003 · about 1:11 am local time
- Place
- Brownsville, California · Brownsville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N6250A · no longer on the register · serial 33050
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane landed hard and veered off the runway. During the approach the pilot was flying faster than normal. About 300-feet after the runway designation marking, the airplane touched down with very little flare. The airplane began to porpoise down the 20-foot wide runway. The airplane departed off the left side of the runway and collided with a berm. It continued down a slope and slid about 200-feet, with the airplane's wings colliding with several small trees. The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted, leaving both the pilot and passenger hanging upside down. The passenger, who was also a pilot, reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
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
Co-pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 750 hours in all; 6 in this make and model
- Last flight review: September 4, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2002
- Maximum gross weight: 2,960 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Q21 Brownsville CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 2,320 ft by 20 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.