Cessna 182M accident near Crescent City, California, September 10, 1988
On September 10, 1988 at about 2:29 am local time, a Cessna 182M, registered N4834P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Crescent City, California. It was a personal 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
FAILURE OF THE NUMBER 2 PISTON DUE TO PREEXISTING FATIGUE CRACKS IN THE PISTON.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 10, 1988 · about 2:29 am local time
- Place
- Crescent City, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182M · all 182Ms on the register
- Registration
- N4834P · no longer on the register · serial 18259867
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING FLIGHT, THE ENGINE STARTED TO MISS AND THEN BEGAN BACKFIRING. HE 'CUT' THE POWER BACK TO PREVENT THE AIRPLANE FROM 'SHAKING APART' & TRIED TO GLIDED THE AIRPLANE TO AN AIRPORT, BUT WAS UNABLE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE WAS DAMAGED DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING OF ROUGH TERRAIN. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION & TEARDOWN OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THE #2 PISTON HAD FAILED. A METALLURGICAL EXAM OF THE PISTON REVEALED PREEXISTING FATIGUE CRACKS.
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: 3,400 hours in all; 500 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,750 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 1988; 78 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SCK Stockton CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 290° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°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.