Cessna 182A accident near Avalon, California, September 29, 2025
On September 29, 2025 at about 9:05 pm local time, a 1958 Cessna 182A, registered N2079G, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Avalon, California (Catalina 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s decision to land with a tailwind and a downslope to the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 29, 2025 · about 9:05 pm local time
- Place
- Avalon, California · Catalina Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182A, built 1958 · all 182As on the register
- Registration
- N2079G · registry record · serial 51379
- 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 he was landing on the runway with a tailwind and a down slope. The airplane touched down about one quarter to one third down the runway. The pilot realized that there was insufficient runway remaining to stop and chose to veer off the runway. In doing so, the airplane impacted a berm which substantially damaged the firewall. While taxiing to get to the taxiway, the airplane impacted a post which substantially damaged left aileron. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions of failures that would have precluded normal operations.
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 collision during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine sea; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,618 hours in all; 3,251 in this make and model; 63 in the last 90 days; 39 in the last 30 days; 4,693 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 13, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,917.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 18, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 3,982 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SEE El Cajon CA at 8:05 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 04, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 12:51 pm from AVX, 32 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KAVX 251951Z AUTO VRB06KT 10SM CLR 21/15 A3004 RMK AO2 SLP150 T02110150
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on June 25, 2026. 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 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 WPR25LA304.