Cessna 182Q accident near So Lake Tahoe, California, May 31, 2003
On May 31, 2003 at about 1:17 pm local time, a Cessna 182Q, registered N4892N, was substantially damaged in an accident near So Lake Tahoe, California. It was a public-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a loss of pitch flight control authority due to the disconnection and separation of the elevator DOWN control cable turnbuckle. The separation of the turnbuckle was due to the severance of the safety wire by unknown persons at an unknown time.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 31, 2003 · about 1:17 pm local time
- Place
- So Lake Tahoe, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182Q · all 182Qs on the register
- Registration
- N4892N · no longer on the register · serial 18267441
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Pitch control was lost during the takeoff initial climb due to a separated elevator control cable and the aircraft nosed over during an off-airport forced landing. During climb out, both pilots noted an increasing nose high pitch attitude and pushed forward on their respective yokes in an effort to regain aircraft control. The aircraft did not respond to control yoke inputs and the certified flight instructor (CFI) was only able to regain control by retracting the flaps and retarding the throttle; however, there was no runway remaining to affect a landing. The CFI used engine power to maintain aircraft pitch control and setup for an off-airport landing. The nose landing gear dug into the soft ground after the airplane touched down and the aircraft nosed over. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane on scene. He removed the empennage inspection panel and found the DOWN elevator cable lying on the floor of the empennage. The safety wire for the DOWN elevator cable had been cut and pulled from the center hole, which allowed the turnbuckle to rotate until it separated from the turnbuckle eye. The other end remained attached to the swaged terminal by two threads. The UP elevator cable turnbuckle safety wire had also been cut on the eye side and pulled out of the center hole of the turnbuckle. The eye remained engaged in the turnbuckle by 19 3/4 turns, and the terminal end remained engaged by 18 1/2 turns. The flight control system was inspected with no further discrepancies noted. A review of the aircraft maintenance records, and shop work orders from maintenance facilities that had worked on the airplane, revealed no instances of maintenance activity that would have involved disturbing the elevator control cable turnbuckles since November 2000. The last annual inspection was completed 8 months and 75 flight hours prior to the accident; both the mechanic and inspector who performed the annual reported that the elevator control system was secure at that point.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 778 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: February 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 170 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,740.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2002; 75 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental O-470-U (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TVL So Lake Tahoe CA at 1:15 pm
- Destination: WMC Winnemucca NV
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from TVL, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.
Other NTSB records under N4892N 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.