Cessna 182 accident near Blythe, California, March 13, 1982
On March 13, 1982 at about 4:30 am local time, a Cessna 182, registered N21409, was substantially damaged in an accident near Blythe, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. 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 13, 1982 · about 4:30 am local time
- Place
- Blythe, California
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N21409 · no longer on the register · serial 61620
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ENGINE LOST POWER AT NIGHT WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS EN ROUTE AT ABOUT 18,000 FT MSL. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE. WHILE TRYING TO START THE ENGINE, HE NOTED THAT THE CARBURETOR HEAT WOULD NOT GO FULL ON OR FULL OFF. THE PILOT ASKED FOR VECTORS TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT, BUT WAS UNABLE TO SEE IT FROM ABOUT 7.5 MILES. HE WAS UNAWARE THAT HE HAD TO KEY THE MICROPHONE BUTTON FIVE TIMES ON 122.8 MHZ TO TURN ON THE RUNWAY LIGHTS. HE WAS ABLE TO SEE A HIGHWAY AND CAR LIGHTS FROM ABOUT 17,000 FT MSL. WHILE LANDING ON THE HIGHWAY IN HEAVY RAIN, THE LEFT WING AND ENGINE STRUCK TREES BESIDE THE ROADWAY. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED NO PREIMPACT MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,313 hours in all; 852 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,019 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Polamar CA
- Destination: Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N21409 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.