Cessna 182P accident near Salinas, California, January 10, 1998
On January 10, 1998 at about 1:56 am local time, a Cessna 182P, registered N8158M, was destroyed in an accident near Salinas, California (Salinas Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to a missing valve keeper. Also causal was the failure by engine maintenance personnel during engine top overhaul to install the second valve keeper in the No. 3 cylinder exhaust valve and the failure of inspection personnel to detect the improper assembly.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 10, 1998 · about 1:56 am local time
- Place
- Salinas, California · Salinas Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N8158M · no longer on the register · serial 18264550
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a night-time flight in marginal VFR conditions, the pilot radioed approach control that his aircraft's engine had begun running rough, losing power, and he was having difficulty maintaining altitude. Approach control vectored the pilot 14 miles back to the airport where he had previously completed an instrument approach. The pilot reported the runway in sight, however, the aircraft crashed on final approach 2 miles from the runway. A witness reported hearing the aircraft's engine as it approached, followed by 5 seconds of silence, and then the sound of impact. An annual inspection was completed on the aircraft about 2 weeks before the accident and this was believed to be the owner's first flight after the inspection. During the inspection, the Nos. 1, 3, and 4 cylinders were removed from the engine and repaired. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that one of the two valve keepers had not been reinstalled on the No. 3 cylinder exhaust valve resulting in asymmetric loading of the remaining keeper. When that keeper fractured, the exhaust valve was released and entered the combustion chamber of the No. 3 cylinder where it contacted the piston. The consequential damage fractured the Nos. 3 and 4 pistons, the Nos. 3 and 4 connecting rods, and the crankcase.
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: 4,700 hours in all; 2,700 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 4,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-S (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: SQL San Carlos CA at 1:00 am
- Destination: Soledad CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 4,825 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,000 ft; scat at 700 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 2:00 am from SNS, 3 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.