Cessna 182Q accident near Watsonville, California, March 11, 1990
On March 11, 1990 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Cessna 182Q, registered N759KM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Watsonville, California (Watsonville Muni. airport). It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 11, 1990 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Watsonville, California · Watsonville Muni. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182Q · all 182Qs on the register
- Registration
- N759KM · registry record · serial 18266055
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE TAXIING FOR TAKEOFF THE COMMERCIAL PILOT INADVERTENTLY PROCEEDED INTO A SIX-INCH DEEP, TWO FOOT BY TWO FOOT WIDE, POT HOLE. THE IMPACT BUCKLED THE FIREWALL. THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED THAT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT HE HAD BEEN AWARE OF THE POT HOLE'S EXISTENCE AND MISJUDGED THE AIRPLANE'S DISTANCE FROM IT.
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
What happened, in order
- ON GROUND/WATER ENCOUNTER WITH TERRAIN/WATER during taxi - to takeoff
Pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land, ASE, APLN, none
- Flight time: 750 hours in all; 600 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: class 2
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-U (piston); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Destination: WVI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scattered
- Temperature: 57°C, dew point 0°C
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Other NTSB records under N759KM the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX90LA077.