Cessna 182 accident near Carlsbad, California, December 13, 2019
On December 13, 2019 at about 3:00 am local time, a 1972 Cessna 182, registered N182EF, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Carlsbad, California (Mccellan 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 fatigue failure of the crankshaft. Contributing to the accident was the undocumented installation of the supercharger, which resulted in increased stress on the crankshaft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 13, 2019 · about 3:00 am local time · cases in 2019
- Place
- Carlsbad, California · Mccellan · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 P, built 1972 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N182EF · registry record · serial 18261392
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that during the flight, the airplane’s engine started to run rough. Despite troubleshooting, the engine roughness increased followed by “flash explosions” from the engine and the smell of oil in the cabin. The engine lost total power, and the pilot performed a forced landing to an interstate highway. The airplane landed hard, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the Nos. 5 and 6 connecting rods separated from the crankshaft. The crankshaft separated into three sections. One of the separations was at the crankshaft cheek forward and adjacent to the No. 3 bearing journal, and the separation surfaces displayed beach marks consistent with fatigue cracking. Metallurgical examination revealed that the fracture appeared to initiate below the outer nitride layer near an oxide inclusion within the metal. The engine was overhauled and converted from the original Continental O-470-U engine to a PPA O-470-50 engine per a supplemental type certificate (STC). Additionally, a supercharger was installed on the engine, which was not part of the engine conversion STC. No logbook entries were found regarding the installation of the supercharger. It is likely that the installation of the supercharger contributed additional stress to the crankshaft during operation, which resulted in the separation of the crankshaft and subsequent catastrophic engine failure.
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 engine power (total) during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng supercharger › Incorrect service/maintenance other cases naming the engine
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Failure other cases naming the engine
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,454 hours in all; 1,430 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 1,354 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 19, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,235.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 5, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-50 (piston); 140 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EMT El Monte CA at 2:33 am
- Destination: CRQ Carlsbad CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 260° at 10 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 3:05 am from CRQ, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 9 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
73625 191214 Photographs 01-Overview 02-Overview
73625 191214 Photographs 03-Fuselage damage 04-Fuselage Damage
73625 191214 Photographs 05-Fuselage Damage 06-Belly
73625 191214 Photographs 07-Left Side 08-Left Side
73625 191214 Photographs 09-LEft Side 10-Left Main Gear
73625 191214 Photographs 11-Left Side 12-RIght Wing Tip
73625 191214 Photographs 13-Propeller and Nose 14-Propeller and Nose
73625 191214 Photographs 15-Propeller and Nose 16-Propeller and Nose
73625 191214 Photographs 17-TailThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on June 14, 2022. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | NTSB Engine Examination Summary | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Continental Aerospace Technologies Materials Lab Report | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Engine Monitor Data | PDF, 47 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Engine Logbook | PDF, 13 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Aea Release Certificate for Crankshaft | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation-smalldridge | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation-cat | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation-p. Ponk Aviation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Photo Array-airplane Photos Document Supplied by Owner | PDF, 9 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N182EF on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 182 Skylane 11,833 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,678 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental O-470-50 12,779 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- MC Clellan-Palomar Airport · nearest airport
- San Gabriel Valley Airport · departed from
- MC Clellan-Palomar Airport · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,096 in the last ten years
- California 28,279 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR20LA042.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.