Cessna 185 accident near Susanville, California, August 17, 1998
On August 17, 1998, a Cessna 185, registered N8482D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Susanville, California (Susanville Municipal airport). 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 visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control. A factor was the gusty wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 17, 1998
- Place
- Susanville, California · Susanville Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N8482D · registry record · serial 185-1370
- 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 about 300 feet into the takeoff roll on runway 29 and approximately 30 mph, he felt a strong wind gust from his left side and was unable to maintain the aircraft heading with full right rudder and right brake. The aircraft ground looped and came to rest on the runway about 120 degrees from its initial heading. The right main landing gear collapsed, and there was damage to the right wing, right stabilizer, and elevator. The winds were reported as 240 degrees at 12 knots gusting to 21 knots. A witness on the airport said that the winds were 'unpredictably gusty' at the time of the accident. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunction with the aircraft prior to takeoff, but stated that he 'could have made a more accurate estimate of [the] severity of gusts and not attempted the takeoff.'
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; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 3,200 hours in all; 450 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 3,100 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,359 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 4, 1998; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SVE CA
- Destination: 203 Angwin CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 4,050 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 12 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 am from RNO
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.