Cessna 182 accident near Folsom, California, March 20, 1982
On March 20, 1982, a Cessna 182, registered N3910D, was destroyed in an accident near Folsom, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were seriously injured and 2 people 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 20, 1982
- Place
- Folsom, California
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N3910D · no longer on the register · serial 18234610
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT VISUALLY CHECKED THE FUEL BEFORE TAKEOFF AND WAS AWARE THAT THE TANKS WERE NOT FULL. HE REPORTED THAT HE WOULD ONLY USE 80/87 OCTANE FUEL BECAUSE THE ENGINE WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH VALVES THAT WOULD ACCEPT 100 OCTANE FUEL. DURING THE FLIGHT, HE ENCOUNTERED CLOUDS AND DIVERTED FROM HIS ORIGINAL ROUTE. THE LEFT FUEL TANK WENT DRY ABOUT 20 MILES SOUTH OF PHOENIX FIELD, FAIR OAKS, CA. HE SWITCHED TO THE RIGHT TANK AND PROCEEDED TOWARD PHOENIX FIELD. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE CHECKED THE RIGHT FUEL TANK GAUGE AFTER SWITCHING TANKS AND IT SHOWED A LITTLE LESS THAN HALF FULL. HOWEVER, WHILE THE PILOT WAS DIVERTING, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A LANDING ON ROUGH, HILLY TERRAIN IN AN AREA OF TREES AND BRUSH. THE ELEVATION OF THE CRASH SITE WAS APPROXIMATELY 4500 FT MSL.
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
- Flight time: 128 hours in all; 36 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,720 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Apple Valley CA at 9:00 am
- Destination: CCR Concord CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 2 |
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.