Cessna 180 accident near Goleta, California, April 13, 1982
On April 13, 1982 at about 2:55 am local time, a Cessna 180, registered N13NP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Goleta, California (Santa Barbara airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 13, 1982 · about 2:55 am local time
- Place
- Goleta, California · Santa Barbara
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N13NP · registry record · serial 31225
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THIS WAS THE SECOND DUAL INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT THAT THE NEW OWNER AND INSTRUCTOR PILOT HAD FLOWN IN THIS AIRCRAFT. THE OWNER, A PRIVATE PILOT NEEDED 10 HRS OF FLIGHT TIME TO MEET INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS. AFTER ABOUT 30 MINUTES OF AIRWORK, THEY RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT TO LAND IN LIGHT AND VARIABLE WIND CONDITIONS. AFTER A NORMAL APPROACH AND FULL STALL LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN DRIFTING TO THE LEFT. REPORTEDLY, THE OWNER FIRST USED HIS AILERONS TO CORRECT THE DRIFT, THEN AT THE IP'S INSTRUCTION, HE APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER. THE IP REPORTED THAT THE PLANE THEN TURNED TOWARD THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND WENT UP ON ITS LEFT MAIN GEAR AND TAILWHEEL. THE IP STATED HE TRIED TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, BUT THE OWNER WOULD NOT RELEASE THE CONTROLS AND THE LEFT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR ATTACH BOLT WAS FOUND IN THE GEAR ATTACH HOLE. THE BOLT WAS BENT AND THE THREADS WERE STRIPPED OFF.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,004 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 232 in the last 90 days; 1,884 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,438 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,250 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SBA Goleta CA at 6:00 pm
- Destination: SBA Goleta CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 4,183 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX82FUQ14.