Cessna 182B accident near Rancho Cucamong, California, December 31, 1994
On December 31, 1994 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Cessna 182B, registered N2569G, was destroyed in an accident near Rancho Cucamong, California (Cable Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the failure of the pilot to maintain adequate altitude above mountainous terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 31, 1994 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Rancho Cucamong, California · Cable Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182B · all 182Bs on the register
- Registration
- N2569G · no longer on the register · serial 51869
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS OBSERVED FLYING AT A LOW ALTITUDE OVER A MOUNTAIN SKI RESORT. THE AIRPLANE NEVER ARRIVED AT ITS DESTINATION AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY REPORTED MISSING. SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS WERE THWARTED BY ADVERSE WEATHER AND MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION FOR 4 DAYS. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND 9 MONTHS LATER ON THE SIDE OF A STEEP RIDGE AT 6,480 FEET MSL. THE WRECKAGE HAD EXTENSIVE IMPACT DAMAGE TO THE NOSE, LEADING EDGES OF THE WINGS, AND LANDING GEAR FAIRINGS. CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED.
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: 1,300 hours in all
- Medical certificate: None (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: CCB Upland CA at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from POC, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.