Cessna A185F accident near Big Bear City, California, September 8, 1989
On September 8, 1989 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Cessna A185F, registered N252W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Big Bear City, California (Big Bear City airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR THE UNFAVORABLE WIND CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 8, 1989 · about 11:45 pm local time · cases in 1989
- Place
- Big Bear City, California · Big Bear City · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N252W · registry record · serial 18503687
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ADVISED BY UNICOM THAT RWY 7 WAS IN USE, ANTICIPATED WIND FROM NE. AFTER TOUCHDOWN HE FOUND WIND WAS FROM SW. PILOT ABORTED LANDING ATTEMPT, BUT LOST CONTROL AS LEFT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED. AIRPORT MANAGER REPORTED THAT LOCAL WIND DIRECTION WAS 'SQUIRRELLY' AND THAT THE WIND SOCKS AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE RUNWAY WERE POINTING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS. A DUST DEVIL WAS ALSO REPORTED IN THE VICINITY OF THE AIRPORT. PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED HE DID NOT OBSERVE WIND SOCK.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 953 hours in all; 288 in this make and model; 41 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Downey Construction, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: MYF San Diego CA at 10:50 pm
- Destination: L35 Big Bear City CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 5,850 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 225° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N252W the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N252W on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna A185 Skywagon 1,373 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,678 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D 95 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Big Bear City Airport · nearest airport
- Montgomery-Gibbs Executive · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,096 in the last ten years
- California 28,279 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N252W 3 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/LAX89LA306.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.