Cessna 182P accident near Santa Ysabel, California, February 19, 1990
On February 19, 1990 at about 5:00 am local time, a Cessna 182P, registered N1510M, was destroyed in an accident near Santa Ysabel, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S ATTEMPT TO CONDUCT VISUAL FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. LOW CEILINGS AND MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN WERE FACTORS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 19, 1990 · about 5:00 am local time
- Place
- Santa Ysabel, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N1510M · no longer on the register · serial 18264358
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER RECEIVING NUMEROUS WEATHER BRIEFINGS THAT RECOMMENDED VISUAL FLIGHT NOT BE CONDUCTED ALONG HIS PROPOSED FLIGHT ROUTE OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, THE PILOT FILED HIS FLIGHT PLAN UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) AND TOOKOFF INTO THE NIGHT. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT FAILED TO ARRIVE AT ITS DESTINATION, A SEARCH WAS INITIATED. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND ON A MOUNTAIN AT THE 3,300 FOOT LEVEL, APPROXIMATELY 11 HOURS AFTER THE TAKEOFF AND 15 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT OF DEPARTURE.
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: 150 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O470-S (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: L08 Borrego Springs CA at 4:38 am
- Destination: CRQ Carlsbad CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 6:45 am from CRQ, 38 miles away
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.