Cessna 182B accident near Madera, California, September 7, 1997
On September 7, 1997 at about 1:00 am local time, a Cessna 182B, registered N81MK, was substantially damaged in an accident near Madera, California. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's failure to compute the fuel required and the fuel available. The pilot's decision to extend his downwind beyond gliding distance of the runway after entering the traffic pattern was a factor in this accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 7, 1997 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Madera, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182B · all 182Bs on the register
- Registration
- N81MK · no longer on the register · serial 51617
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot descended to land after a paradrop. Entering downwind, he cleared the engine, moved the mixture control to full rich, and applied carburetor heat. Being above traffic pattern altitude he extended his downwind. Upon reaching his base leg, he attempted to add power but the engine failed to respond. He switched tanks from both to the right and finally to the left. When the engine continued windmilling he executed a forced landing. The aircraft touched down perpendicular to the rows of the cotton field and nosed over. About 1 gallon of fuel was found in the right tank and 3 gallons found in the left. The aircraft had flown 1.6 hours since being last fueled with 19 gallons. The total fuel onboard after refueling is unknown. The engine manufacturer estimated that engine would consumed about 19 gallons during this period. The aircraft manufacturer stated that there are 1.5 gallons of unusable fuel in each tank. The carburetor icing probability chart, shows that carburetor icing was possible at glide and cruise power.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 825 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 53 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 679 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,080 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 22, 1997; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MAE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 93°F (34°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.
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.