Cessna 205 accident near Gualala, California, September 5, 1999
On September 5, 1999 at about 9:08 pm local time, a Cessna 205, registered N1854Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gualala, California (Ocean Ridge airport). 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to attain a proper touchdown point due to his misjudgment of the aircraft's speed, altitude, and distance to the runway. The pilot's failure to initiate a go-around is also causal.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 5, 1999 · about 9:08 pm local time
- Place
- Gualala, California · Ocean Ridge · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 205
- Registration
- N1854Z · registry record · serial 0054
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Approaching the airport, the pilot observed the windsock and noted it indicated calm wind conditions. He chose to land on runway 13. The airport manager observed the airplane land and opined that its approach had been too high. The pilot reported that he had never been to the airport and acknowledged that his approach was high and he touched down long. With insufficient runway to decelerate, the airplane skidded 150 feet off the runway's departure end and impacted trees. The FAA's Airport Facility Directory indicated that runway 13 is 2,500 feet long and has a 400-foot displaced threshold due to the presence of trees. During calm wind conditions, runway 31 should be used.
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: 955 hours in all; 435 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,564 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 1999; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-470S (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WVI Watsonville CA at 7:41 pm
- Destination: Q69
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 2,500 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:52 pm from UKI, 25 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.