Cessna R182 accident near Thermal, California, July 31, 2025
On July 31, 2025 at about 4:19 pm local time, a 1978 Cessna R182, registered N2658C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Thermal, California (Jacqueline Cochran Rgnl 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear during landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to use a pre-landing checklist.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 2025 · about 4:19 pm local time
- Place
- Thermal, California · Jacqueline Cochran Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna R182 NO SERIES, built 1978 · all R182s on the register
- Registration
- N2658C · registry record · serial R18200198
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, while in the pattern practicing touch and go landings, he forgot to extend the landing gear and that he landed with the landing gear retracted. Subsequently, the airplane slid down the runway before it came to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage. The pilot indicated that he did not use a pre-landing checklist. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- 551095 during descent - normal
- 552090 during descent - emergency
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land, none, none, none
- Flight time: 150 hours in all; 5 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,480 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, December 23, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-J3C5D (piston); 4,486 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: KUDD Bermuda Dunes CA at 4:08 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17/3, 8,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 93°C, dew point 54°C
- Altimeter: 29.889999 inHg
- Observation at 8:52 am from KTRM
Weather report (METAR): KTRM 311652Z AUTO 14003KT 10SM CLR 34/12 A2989 RMK AO2 SLP125 T03390122 TSNO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR25LA237.