Cessna 182P accident near Beldon, California, September 18, 1982
On September 18, 1982 at about 7:00 am local time, a Cessna 182P, registered N20726, was destroyed in an accident near Beldon, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
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
- September 18, 1982 · about 7:00 am local time
- Place
- Beldon, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N20726 · registry record · serial 18261158
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PORTIONS OF THE ACFT'S RIGHT WING WERE LOCATED NORTH OF HIGHWAY 70 IN REMOTE RUGGED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN NEAR BELDEN, CA.THE REMAINDER OF THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED ABOUT 2 MI SOUTH OF THE HIGHWAY ON THE EAST SIDE OF FERN CREEK CANYON AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 5,000 FT. A WX STUDY PREPARED BY NTSB INDICATED THAT WX CONDITIONS OVER NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WAS CHARACTERIZED BY OVERCAST SKIES & RAIN SHOWERS. ALSO LIGHT TO OCCASIONALLY MODERATE RAIN SHOWERS THROUGHOUT THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY & WESTERN SIERRA MOUNTAINS. FORECASTS WERE FOR THE MOUNTAINS TO BE GENERALLY OBSCURED ALONG THE ACFT'S ROUTE OF FLT.
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
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 008 Colusa CA at 7:55 am
- Destination: WMC Winnemucca NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 138°F (59°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 am from RBL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.