Cessna 182F accident near Montecito, California, August 7, 2015
On August 7, 2015 at about 5:10 am local time, a 1963 Cessna 182F, registered N5738F, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Montecito, California. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Oil starvation that led to the failure of the No. 5 connecting rod and a subsequent loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 2015 · about 5:10 am local time
- Place
- Montecito, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182F, built 1963 · all 182Fs on the register
- Registration
- N5738F · no longer on the register · serial 18254796
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was conducting a cross-country business flight. While en route to the destination airport, the pilot reported to an air traffic controller that they were going to lose an engine. The flight was over mountainous terrain; the controller provided nearby airports to the pilot, and the pilot chose a diversionary airport. The pilot then reported that the airplane was experiencing vibrations and that he could not see anything due to oil on his windscreen, as well as smoke that had entered into the cabin. The controller told the pilot that he would report an emergency for him; no further communications were received from the pilot. The airplane was located the following morning in mountainous terrain. The airplane struck a mountain at an elevation of 3,554 ft. On-site examination of the wreckage revealed that the airplane came to rest inverted with the undercarriage covered in oil from the nose to the tail. An examination of the airframe revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The engine teardown examination revealed a hole in the engine crankcase above the No. 6 connecting rod. The No. 5 connecting rod had fractured and separated from the crankshaft, which caused internal damage to the engine and led to the loss of engine power. The internal components exhibited signs of oil starvation; however, the cause of the oil starvation could not be determined. Although a small amount of ethanol was detected in the pilot's cavity blood, no ethanol was detected in the vitreous or urine, indicating that the detected ethanol was likely due to postmortem production and did not contribute to the accident. Although the pilot's tissue samples tested positive for small amounts of the inactive metabolite of marijuana, no active drug was detected in the pilot's blood; therefore, the pilot was likely not experiencing significant effects from his marijuana use at the time of the accident.
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
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during enroute (cruise)
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › (general) › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,250 hours in all
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,050.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2015; 35 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470-R (piston); 556 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SBP San Luis Obispo CA
- Destination: CRQ Carlsbad CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 100° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 am from SBA, 23 miles away
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.