Cessna R182 accident near San Andreas, California, February 22, 1988
On February 22, 1988 at about 7:30 am local time, a Cessna R182, registered N3178C, was destroyed in an accident near San Andreas, California (Calaveras CO. airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person 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
- February 22, 1988 · about 7:30 am local time
- Place
- San Andreas, California · Calaveras CO. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna R182 · all R182s on the register
- Registration
- N3178C · no longer on the register · serial R18200249
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A NIGHT FLIGHT THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON A 3600-FT-LONG RWY. HE MISJUDGED HIS ALTITUDE, TOUCHED DOWN LONG & ATTEMPTED TO GO-AROUND. THE ACFT BECAME AIRBORNE & UPON PASSING THE AIRPORT'S BOUNDARY IT COLLIDED WITH A FENCE & CRASHED. THE PLT DID NOT FILE AN ACC REPORT.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 250 hours in all; 18 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Squadron Two Flying Club
The flight
- Departed from: RHV San Jose CA at 6:25 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 3,600 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°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.