Cessna 180K accident near Redding, California, March 30, 2008
On March 30, 2008 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 180K, registered N95ME, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern base) near Redding, California (Benton Field Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot's incorrect positioning of the fuel tank selector.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 30, 2008 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Redding, California · Benton Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180K · all 180Ks on the register
- Registration
- N95ME · no longer on the register · serial 18052783
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that, while maneuvering on downwind within the airport traffic pattern, he thought the fuel selector valve was on the "left" tank and rotated the handle 1/4 turn in the clockwise direction to a position he thought was "both." As the pilot turned onto base leg, he noticed the engine had lost power and initiated a forced landing to an area adjacent to the runway. Subsequently, the airplane landed hard on a rising embankment near the runway and came to rest upright. The fuselage and both wings were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that the fuel selector valve was actually in the "right" position, and when he rotated the fuel selector handle he had inadvertently positioned the valve to the "off" position. The pilot added that there were no mechanical anomalies with the engine or airframe prior to the accident.
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
What happened, in order
- Fuel starvation during approach (VFR pattern base) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach (VFR pattern base)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel selector/shutoff valve › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 944 hours in all; 104 in this make and model
- Last flight review: June 14, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,883 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2007; 83 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,190 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-027 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O85 Redding CA at 9:25 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 2,420 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 pm from RDD, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.