Cessna 182N accident near Sacramento, California, July 18, 1997
On July 18, 1997 at about 1:10 am local time, a Cessna 182N, registered N9099G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sacramento, California (Mather Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of maintenance personnel to adequately repair the pitch trim system and ensure that it was properly rigged, and the pilot's failure to maintain pitch control due to the distraction at liftoff of the mistrim condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 1997 · about 1:10 am local time
- Place
- Sacramento, California · Mather Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182N · all 182Ns on the register
- Registration
- N9099G · registry record · serial 18260639
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While performing the walk around inspection the pilot noted the elevator trim tab was in an elevated position. After starting the engine the pilot repositioned the trim wheel inside the cockpit to the takeoff position. During takeoff rotation the pilot eased back on the yoke and reported that the aircraft felt heavier than usual. As the aircraft came off the ground, the pilot released some of the back pressure and the aircraft struck the runway. The pilot pulled the yoke back and the aircraft bounced higher and harder. After the second bounce the pilot reduced the power, the nose wheel struck the runway and collapsed the nose landing gear. Approximately 1 month before the accident a discrepancy was reported indicating that the pitch trim wire had jumped its groove. The same facility that had worked on the aircraft the day of the accident had repaired the pitch trim wire by repositioning the pitch trim indicator to center travel in the window. The aircraft's type certificate data sheet notes that the total trim tab travel should be 43 degrees including the plus/minus tolerances. An FAA inspector examined the aircraft and found that the total trim travel available was 35 degrees. The inspector reported that the total trim travel favored the nose down attitude, but it was off-centered by only 5 degrees. The cockpit indicator was found to move easily from grove to grove.
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: 109 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 65 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,269 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 17, 1997; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R15B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MHR at 1:10 am
- Destination: 088 Rio Vista CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22L, 11,301 ft by 300 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 35 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX97LA252.