Cessna 402B accident near Upland, California, October 24, 1982
On October 24, 1982 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna 402B, registered N7856Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Upland, California (Cable Airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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
- October 24, 1982 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Upland, California · Cable Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 402B · all 402Bs on the register
- Registration
- N7856Q · no longer on the register · serial 402BD102
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER HE LANDED AND TURNED OFF THE RUNWAY TO TAXI, HE HEARD A LOUD REPORT (EXPLOSION) FROM THE RIGHT WING. HE EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT AND FOUND THE SKIN SEPARATED FROM THE TOP AND BOTTOM LEADING EDGE OF THE RIGHT WING. SOOT WAS FOUND AROUND THE WING DRAIN HOLE FOR THE LEADING EDGE CAVITY. EVIDENCE WAS FOUND THAT FUEL LEAKED INTO THE CAVITY FROM AN IMPROPERLY INSTALLED FUEL VENT.
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; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 9,850 as pilot in command; 5,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,701 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,300 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OCN Oceanside CA
- Destination: AVL Asheville NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 3,900 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| 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.
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.