Cessna 182Q accident near Avalon, California, March 9, 1996
On March 9, 1996 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182Q, registered N7583S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Avalon, California (Catalina airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper flare and improper recovery from a bounced landing. Factors relating to the accident were: a visual illusion due to rising terrain at the approach end of the runway, and the pilot's misjudgment of distance and speed during the approach to land.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 9, 1996 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Avalon, California · Catalina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182Q · all 182Qs on the register
- Registration
- N7583S · registry record · serial 18265232
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that this was his first flight to Catalina Island and that he was unfamiliar with the airport. The wind was from 170 degrees at 8 knots, and the pilot elected to land on runway 22. There were steep cliffs on both the approach and departure ends of the runway. The first 2,000 feet of the 3,240-foot-long runway had a pronounced upslope gradient. The pilot said he made three attempts to land, but the aircraft was high and fast each time due to the an optical illusion that was presented by the upsloping terrain at the approach end of the runway. On the third approach, the aircraft touched down hard and bounced back into the air. The pilot said he then released back pressure on the control yoke and the aircraft hit hard on the nose wheel, damaging the propeller and firewall.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 355 hours in all; 8 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,467 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 24, 1995; 58 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Vista Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: WHP Pacoima CA at 8:15 pm
- Destination: AVX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 3,240 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.