Cessna 185 accident near Agua Dulce, California, January 6, 1990
On January 6, 1990, a Cessna 185, registered N9816X, was destroyed in an accident near Agua Dulce, California (Agua Duce 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
PILOT'S IMPROPER WEATHER EVALUATION WHICH DIRECTLY LED TO HIS ATTEMPTED TAKEOFF IN AN EXCESSIVE TAILWIND AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL DURING THE UNSUCCESSFUL ABORT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 6, 1990
- Place
- Agua Dulce, California · Agua Duce · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N9816X · no longer on the register · serial 1850016
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO TAKEOFF IN A TAILWIND CONDITION. THE PILOT DID NOT OBTAIN A WEATHER BRIEFING FOR THE LOCAL FLT. THE PILOT TOOK OFF DOWNWIND, ABORTED THE TAKEOFF, LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND IT FLIPPED OVER. THE AIRCRAFT CAUGHT FIRE AND WAS DESTROYED. IT WAS NOT DETERMINED IF THE PILOT SECURED THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE PRIOR TO HIS DEPARTURE FROM THE AIRCRAFT.
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: 200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: L70
- Destination: L70
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 4,525 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 40 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°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.
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.