Cessna 180 accident near Adelanto, California, January 31, 2005
On January 31, 2005 at about 8:19 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N2882A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Adelanto, California (Adelanto airport). 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 sufficient airspeed to avoid a stall during an attempted go-around, resulting in a loss of control and collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 31, 2005 · about 8:19 pm local time
- Place
- Adelanto, California · Adelanto · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N2882A · no longer on the register · serial 30082
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane collided with terrain following a loss of control during an attempted go-around. This was the pilot's first landing at the airport. The pilot flew the airplane upwind on the northern side of the runway, crossed midfield, and turned downwind for left traffic on runway 25. There was a quartering tailwind from the pilot's right side. A witness said that the airplane appeared stable as it was on downwind, on the base leg, and on final. The witness lost sight of the airplane as it descended below the horizon. He then heard the engine power up. As he reacquired the airplane, he noted that the nose was up much higher than he normally sees airplanes on climb out. The wings were rocking left and right. The airplane rolled about 45 degrees left, and the nose started to fall. The last time that the witness saw the airplane, it was still in a 45-degree left bank, and the nose was falling level with the horizon. The engine sound stopped as he heard a thud. He said that the engine sounded strong until the thud, and it did not sputter or backfire. The pilot did not hold a current medical certificate.
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
- Flight time: 200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Unknown
- Destination: Adelanto CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 5,100 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 7:45 pm from VCV, 5 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.
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.