Cessna 182C accident near Garberville, California, April 12, 2004
On April 12, 2004 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182C, registered N8872T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Garberville, California (Garberville Airport). 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 inadequate compensation for the wind conditions and failure to maintain directional control of the airplane. Factors in the accident were the terrain induced turbulent conditions, wind shear, a sudden wind shift, and a tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 12, 2004 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Garberville, California · Garberville Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182C · all 182Cs on the register
- Registration
- N8872T · no longer on the register · serial 52772
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot lost directional control while attempting to land, and the airplane veered off the runway and nosed over. The pilot was attempting to land on runway 36. He descended to traffic pattern altitude and followed another airplane for a right pattern. On the downwind and base leg he did not have the runway in sight due to the mountainous terrain surrounding the airport. On short final the windsock and runway became visible. The airplane passed over the threshold and encountered moderate to severe turbulence with wind shear. The airplane touched down on the runway hard and bounced back into the air. The pilot looked at the windsock and noted a sudden 180-degree shift in the wind direction. The airplane floated in ground effect due to the tailwind conditions. He opted not to make a go-around because he thought that he would not be able to clear the mountainous terrain. The airplane touched down in a grassy area to the right of the runway. It continued to roll and encountered a descending embankment. The airplane came to rest inverted. The pilot reported that the winds at the time of the accident were from 360 degrees at 15 to 20 knots, with gusts and moderate to severe turbulence. The pilot reported no preimpact 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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 425 hours in all; 232 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UKI Ukiah CA
- Destination: O16 Garberville CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.