Cessna 182F accident near Palmdale, California, November 26, 1997
On November 26, 1997 at about 4:45 pm local time, a Cessna 182F, registered N3543Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Palmdale, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Loss of engine power due to icing conditions which plugged the fuel system vent.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 26, 1997 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Palmdale, California
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182F · all 182Fs on the register
- Registration
- N3543Y · no longer on the register · serial 18254443
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot received a weather briefing using DUATS and departed the airport with no discrepancies noted with the aircraft or engine. Once airborne he activated his IFR flight plan with FSS and received his IFR clearance 10 miles north of Palmdale. He climbed to his assigned altitude of 8,000 feet msl, noted that the outside air temperature gage read +2 degrees Celsius and he turned on pitot heat. Over Palmdale he encountered IMC conditions that included heavy rain, moderate turbulence and updrafts. He reduced the power and approximately 1 minute later there was a loss of engine power. The pilot completed the emergency checklist and made two attempts to restart the engine. He declared an emergency and was provided with radar vectors to Palmdale. After touchdown in a soggy field the nose gear came off and the aircraft came to rest inverted. The aircraft recovery personnel noted that conditions at the site were 45 degrees Fahrenheit with rain and sleet. They also noted that there was a piece of ice the size of a snowball covering the fuel vent. Weather in the vicinity of Palmdale at the time of the accident was reported as 1 mile visibility with rain and a broken ceiling of 3,000 feet msl. The weather reported the previous hour was 10 miles visibility with few clouds at 3,000 feet msl and scattered at 5,000 feet msl. PIREPS in the Palmdale vicinity indicated moderate rime ice ranging in altitude from 11,000 to 21,000 feet msl by commercial aircraft.
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, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 1,950 as pilot in command; 50 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,095 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection; 59 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: L71 California City CA at 4:00 pm
- Destination: VNY Van Nuys CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 35 knots, gusting 40
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from PMD
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.