Cessna 182Q and Cessna 150 mid-air collision near Santa Paula, California, August 28, 1992
On August 28, 1992, 2 aircraft, Cessna 182Q (N96829) and Cessna 150 (N63437), were involved in a mid-air collision near Santa Paula, California (Santa Paula airport). 1 person was killed; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF BOTH PILOTS TO SEE AND AVOID EACH OTHER. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE AZIMUTH OF THE SETTING SUN AND THE CESSNA 182 PILOTS NON STANDARD FLIGHT PATTERN.
THE FAILURE OF BOTH PILOTS TO SEE AND AVOID EACH OTHER. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE AZIMUTH OF THE SETTING SUN AND THE CESSNA 182 PILOTS NON STANDARD FLIGHT PATTERN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 1992
- Place
- Santa Paula, California · Santa Paula · map
- Type
- Accident · mid-air collision
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Cessna 182Q · all 182Qs on the register
- Registration
- N96829 · no longer on the register · serial 182-66867
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N63437 · registry record · serial 150-77313
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 182Q final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CFI AND HIS STUDENT IN A C-150 WERE PRACTICING TOUCH AND GO'S AND ANNOUNCING THEIR INTENTIONS ON CTAF 122.9, WHICH THEY HAD BEEN MONITORING. THE CFI SAID HE OBSERVED NO TRAFFIC AHEAD IN THE PATTERN AND HE SCANNED FOR TRAFFIC THROUGHOUT THE PATTERN AND DID NOT SEE ANYTHING. HE SAID HE ALSO ANNOUNCED THE TURN TO BASE OVER THE CTAF. THE CFI STATED 'FROM THIS POINT I TRANSFERRED MY ATTENTION BETWEEN MY STUDENT AND THE APPROACH AND LANDING STAGE OF THE FLIGHT.' HE SAID AS WE TURNED FINAL WE 'CLIPPED' ANOTHER ACFT. THE CFI STATED THAT HE WAS AT THE CONTROLS AT THE TIME OF THE COLLISION. WITNESSES STATED THAT THE ACFT C-182, WAS OBSERVED FLYING UPWIND AGAINST THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AT AN ALT HIGHER THAN THE PATTERN. THE AIRCRAFT THEN CROSSED THE END OF RWY 22 AND ENTERED A HIGH RT DOWNWIND, THEN TURNED A HIGH LONG FINAL FOR RWY 22. AT THE SAME TIME THEY NOTICED THE C-150 ON A LEFT BASE LEG THEN THE COLLISION. THE PREVIOUS CTAF OF 122.7 HAD RECENTLY BEEN CHANGED TO 122.9 CTAF. THE STANDARD TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RWY 22 IS LT HAND.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 150 final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CFI AND HIS STUDENT IN A C-150, WERE PRACTICING TOUCH AND GO'S AND ANNOUNCING THEIR INTENTIONS ON CTAF 122.9, WHICH THEY HAD BEEN MONITORING. THE CFI SAID HE OBSERVED NO TRAFFIC AHEAD IN THE PATTERN AND HE SCANNED FOR TRAFFIC THROUGHOUT THE PATTERN AND DID NOT SEE ANYTHING. HE SAID HE ALSO ANNOUNCED THE TURN TO BASE OVER THE CTAF. THE CFI STATED 'FROM THIS POINT I TRANSFERRED MY ATTENTION BETWEEN MY STUDENT AND THE APPROACH AND LANDING STAGE OF THE FLIGHT.' HE SAID AS THEY TURNED FINAL THEY 'CLIPPED' ANOTHER ACFT. THE CFI STATED THAT HE WAS AT THE CONTROLS AT THE TIME OF THE COLLISION. WITNESSES STATED THAT THE C-182, WAS OBSERVED FLYING UPWIND AGAINST THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AT AN ALT HIGHER THAN THE PATTERN. THE AIRCRAFT THEN CROSSED THE END OF RWY 22 AND ENTERED A HIGH RT DOWNWIND, THEN TURNED A HIGH LONG FINAL FOR RWY 22. AT THE SAME TIME THEY NOTICED THE C-150 ON A LEFT BASE LEG, THEN THE COLLISION. THE PREVIOUS STAF OF 122.7 HAD RECENTLY BEEN CHANGED TO 122.9 THE STANDARD TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 22 IS LT HAND.
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 for the Cessna 182Q from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,548 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 3, 1992
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: L62 Buttonwillow CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 2,600 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Wind: from 220° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
The factual record for the Cessna 150 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,300 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 2,200 as pilot in command; 1,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,879 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 7, 1992; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 2,600 ft by 40 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.