Cessna 182 accident near Joshua Tree, California, September 20, 1983
On September 20, 1983 at about 8:05 pm local time, a Cessna 182, registered N5437B, was destroyed in an accident near Joshua Tree, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- September 20, 1983 · about 8:05 pm local time
- Place
- Joshua Tree, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N5437B · no longer on the register · serial 33437
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE WAS FLYING UNDER A 2000 FT MSL CLOUD LAYER WHILE EN ROUTE FROM SAN CARLOS, CA TO GLENDALE, AZ. HE FLEW INTO A VALLEY & THE CLOUDS BEGAN CLOSING IN. HE THEN MADE A 180 DEG TURN, BUT THE CLOUDS HAD CLOSED IN BEHIND HIM. HE ATTEMPTED A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING ON A ROAD IN THE JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL MONUMENT. HOWEVER, DURING THE ROLL-OUT, THE LEFT WING OF THE ACFT CONTACTED A JOSHUA TREE & THE ACFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED.
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: 900 hours in all; 500 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SQL San Carlos CA at 8:24 am
- Destination: P37 Glendale AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: overcast at 100 ft; not recorded at 100 ft
- 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.