Cessna 182A accident near Potrero, California, September 6, 1993
On September 6, 1993 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Cessna 182A, registered N4847D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Potrero, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The overload failure of the upper nose gear torque link and the subsequent separation of the nose wheel and fork assembly from the nose gear strut. A factor in the accident was the surface irregularity in the dirt landing strip.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 6, 1993 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Potrero, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182A · all 182As on the register
- Registration
- N4847D · no longer on the register · serial 34947
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The touchdown and initial ground roll were normal until the aircraft encountered a raised surface irregularity in the dirt airstrip. The nose wheel lifted after contact with the irregularity, and, when the nose wheel contacted the ground again, the landing gear collapsed. The aircraft nosed over. The nose wheel and fork assembly separated from the nose strut as the nose wheel was lifted off the airstrip by the irregularity. The upper torque link had failed at a point about one inch below the upper attach point. The aircraft was examined by FAA airworthiness inspectors who reported that the upper torque link fracture face exhibited overload characteristics with a clean appearance, and no discoloration or beach markings were evident.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 457 hours in all; 180 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 424 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,108 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 12, 1992; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SEE San Diego CA at 8:51 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 1,200 ft by 15 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.