Cessna 182Q accident near San Luis Obispo, California, November 23, 2014
On November 23, 2014 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 1979 Cessna 182Q, registered N97347, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near San Luis Obispo, California (Dirt Road 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 maintain airplane control during the landing flare with a crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 23, 2014 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- San Luis Obispo, California · Dirt Road · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182Q, built 1979 · all 182Qs on the register
- Registration
- N97347 · no longer on the register · serial 18267064
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
**This report was modified on 10/9/2015. Please see the public docket for this accident to view the changes made to the original report.** The pilot of the airplane departed from a dirt airstrip in mountainous terrain earlier during the day, and was preparing to land at another mountain dirt airstrip. He reported that the wind was about 7 to 10 knots, and that he was flying a stabilized approach during the downwind, base, and final segments. As he initiated the landing flare, the wind changed to a right crosswind, and the right wing lifted. He was unable to keep the airplane on the runway centerline, and the airplane descended down an embankment into an adjacent creek. The airplane came to rest nose down in the creek bed, sustaining substantial damage to the firewall and forward fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 390 hours in all; 390 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 390 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 22, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,100 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2014; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,348 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-550 (piston); 575 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MIT Shafter CA at 4:00 pm
- Destination: NONE San Luis Obispo CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 800 ft by 20 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from KSBP, 29 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on February 9, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo 1 - Accident Site | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.