Cessna 182 accident near Woodland, California, March 7, 1982
On March 7, 1982 at about 1:00 am local time, a Cessna 182, registered N3427U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Woodland, California. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 7, 1982 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Woodland, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N3427U · no longer on the register · serial 18254827
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A CLIMB WAS MADE TO 10,000 FT ON A SKYDIVING FLIGHT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER DESCENDING TO 2000 FT, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER AND RUN ROUGH. HE ELECTED TO MAKE AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING IN A FIELD. NEAR THE END OF THE LANDING ROLL, THE NOSE GEAR SANK INTO SOFT TERRAIN, AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 377 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Woodland CA
- Destination: Woodland CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 140°F (60°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.