Cessna 182C accident near Stockton, California, March 20, 2011
On March 20, 2011 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182C, registered N9040T, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) start-up) near Stockton, California (Stockton Metropolitan Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to secure the airplane before pulling the propeller to start the engine.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 20, 2011 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Stockton, California · Stockton Metropolitan Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182C · all 182Cs on the register
- Registration
- N9040T · no longer on the register · serial 52940
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said he had tried to start the airplane's engine, but the battery seemed weak. He decided to pull the propeller by hand a revolution or two to get more oil/lubricant to the cylinders, rings, and valve stems. He explained to his non-pilot passenger that he was not going to start the engine, but mechanically lubricate it for an easier start. He stated that he turned the master off, and he believed that he turned the magnetos off. He did not set the parking brake or block the tires. After the propeller was turned 1 to 1.5 revolutions, the engine started. The airplane lurched forward and the pilot was unable to get into it. The airplane crossed a taxiway and a runway before it encountered soft earth and nosed over. The engine was pushed aft, wrinkling the fuselage, the right wing lift strut was bent, the right wing displayed wrinkles, and the aft section of the fuselage was bent and wrinkled.
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
What happened, in order
- Ground handling event during standing (engine(s) start-up) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › (general) › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 500 in this make and model
- Last flight review: March 7, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,951 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 11, 2010; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SCK Stockton CA at 11:00 pm
- Destination: SCK Stockton CA
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.54 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from SCK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.