Cessna A185F accident near Jackson, California, May 28, 1989
On May 28, 1989 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna A185F, registered N1042F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jackson, California (Westover Fld airport). 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
THE PILOT DID NOT ESTABLISH A CLIMB RATE SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO CLEAR TREES BEFORE TURNING TOWARDS THEM DURING A GO-AROUND. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE GUSTY CROSSWINDS WHICH CHANGED TO A TAILWIND WHEN THE AIRCRAFT TURNED TO THE RIGHT AND THE PILOTS FAILURE TO COMPENSATE FOR THEM BEFORE COLLIDING WITH A TREE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 28, 1989 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Jackson, California · Westover Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N1042F · no longer on the register · serial 18502699
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A LANDING IN GUSTY CROSSWIND CONDITIONS, THE AIRPLANE BALLOONED. THE PILOT ADDED FULL POWER AND OPTED TO GO-AROUND. THE AIRPLANE WAS TURNED RIGHT (DOWNWIND) AND COLLIDED WITH A TREE WHEN THE AIRPLANE DID NOT CLIMB TO A SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO CLEAR OBTACLES. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE WINDS WERE OUT OF THE WEST AT 10 KTS GUSTING TO 15 KTS.
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: 755 hours in all; 411 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,208 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 1988; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,320 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HTH Hawthorne NV at 7:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 1, 3,400 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°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.