Cessna 180 accident near Placerville, California, November 4, 1995
On November 4, 1995 at about 5:58 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N3358D, was destroyed in an accident near Placerville, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's intentional buzzing, his failure to identify an obstruction (inadequate visual lookout), and his failure to maintain adequate altitude/clearance from the obstruction (utility pole). Factors relating to the accident were: dust generated by farm machinery and sun glare, which reduced the pilot's ability to visually detect the obstruction.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 4, 1995 · about 5:58 pm local time
- Place
- Placerville, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N3358D · no longer on the register · serial 32156
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane approached an open field at tree-top level and struck a 34-foot utility pole about 6 feet from its top, then it burst into flames and crashed in the field. A friend of the pilot who was operating a tractor in the field saw the airplane at low altitude. He stated that the pilot had buzzed him in the past, and he thought that the pilot intended to buzz him again. A representative from the aircraft manufacturer flew over the same route, under similar weather conditions, and at about the same altitude and time of day. He reported (to the investigator) that he had difficulty seeing the lines and poles due to sun glare and similar color terrain, although he knew their location. Also, ground witnesses noted that the tractor was generating dust near the pole at the time of the accident. Toxicology tests of the pilot's blood showed 0.027 mcg/ml Temazepam (a short-term sleep aid), and a low level of Temazepam was detected in his urine. Also, a low level of Oxazepam (a metabolite of Temazepam) was detected in the pilot's blood and urine. Previous studies of Temazepam blood levels suggest that at least 24 hours had elapsed since the pilot had last utilized the drug; thus, the drug was unlikely to have affected the pilot's performance.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 30,000 hours in all; 3,600 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AUN Auburn CA at 5:35 pm
- Destination: PVF CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: ovct at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from MCC, 28 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.