Cessna 182A accident near San Diego, California, November 27, 2005
On November 27, 2005 at about 9:26 pm local time, a Cessna 182A, registered N3936D, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Diego, California (Gillespie Field). 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 failure of the camshaft due to fatigue of one of the gear teeth, which resulted in a loss of engine power. Factors were the fence and the fence post.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 27, 2005 · about 9:26 pm local time
- Place
- San Diego, California · Gillespie Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182A · all 182As on the register
- Registration
- N3936D · no longer on the register · serial 34636
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The engine experienced a loss of power and the airplane collided with a fence while the pilot was performing a forced landing. As the airplane approached the vicinity of the destination airport, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot made a forced landing on highway about 2 miles from the airport. During the landing roll, the airplane impacted a fence. A post accident examination of the engine revealed that rotation of the crankshaft did not generate rotation of the camshaft. Removal of the starter drive gear assembly revealed that four gear teeth were missing from the camshaft sprocket and one gear tooth was missing from the crankshaft sprocket. The gear teeth were retrieved and sent to the Safety Board Materials Laboratory for examination. The camshaft gear sprocket failed due to fatigue initiating at the root of one of the teeth. Several other teeth had fatigue consistent with secondary initiation due to load shedding from the original failed tooth; the crankshaft gear failure was also secondary. Microstructural examination and hardness testing was performed on a section of a camshaft tooth, which met drawing specifications. A thin layer of decarburization was observed on the surface.
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: 3,600 hours in all; 200 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,896 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2005; 76 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental O-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LVK Livermore CA at 7:15 pm
- Destination: SEE San Diego CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 9:48 pm from SEE, 2 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.