Cessna 182 accident near Avalon Catalina, California, July 11, 1983
On July 11, 1983 at about 2:00 am local time, a Cessna 182, registered N3602U, was involved in an accident near Avalon Catalina, California (Avalon airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were 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
- July 11, 1983 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Avalon Catalina, California · Avalon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N3602U · registry record · serial 18255002
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT PROPELLER STRUCK THE ARM OF A LINEMAN WHO WAS ASSISTING THE PLT TO START THE ACFT THE PLT STATED THAT THE PROPELLER WAS TURNING SLOWLY AND HE ASKED FOR HELP. THE LINEMAN REQUESTED THAT ALL SWITCHES BE TURNED OFF AND PROCEED TOTURN THE PROPELLER WHICH IMMEDIATELY FIRED AND CONTINUED TO RUN. UPON EXAMINATION A P-LEAD ON THE MAGNETO WAS FOUND PULLED OUT OF THE LUG AT THE NOISE FILTER. THIS CAUSED THE MAGNETO TO BE HOT AT ALL TIMES.
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: 340 hours in all; 340 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 245 as pilot in command; 11 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,287 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 11, 1982
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MYF Sand Diego CA
- Destination: AVK Avalon CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.