Cessna 182Q accident near Watsonville, California, June 25, 1991
On June 25, 1991, a Cessna 182Q, registered N759KM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Watsonville, California (Watsonville airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 6 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 IMPROPER FLARE AND IMPROPER RECOVERY FROM A BOUNCED LANDING. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: GUSTY WINDS, THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR WIND CONDITIONS, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF AIRCRAFT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 25, 1991
- Place
- Watsonville, California · Watsonville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 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
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE 118-HOUR PILOT RECEIVED A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING, AND EN ROUTE, HE RECEIVED UPDATED INFORMATION REGARDING THE DESTINATION WEATHER. HE WAS AWARE THAT THE SURFACE WIND WAS FROM 260 DEGREES AT ABOUT 15 KNOTS. DURING LANDING, THE PILOT FLARED HIGH AND ENCOUNTERED A GUST. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED HARD ON THE RUNWAY TWO TIMES, BENDING THE PROPELLER BLADE TIPS AND THE FIREWALL. THIS WAS THE PILOT'S FIRST FLIGHT IN THE AIRPLANE AFTER RECEIVING A CHECKOUT IN THIS MODEL.
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
- HARD LANDING during landing - flare/touchdown
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land, none, none
- Flight time: 118 hours in all; 13 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 64 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: class 3
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-U (piston); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: 022 Columbia CA at 11:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 3,999 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 70°C, dew point 0°C
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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 LAX91LA278.