No fatalities

Pilot Reports Excessive Sink During Approach Leading to Terrain Impact

Lakeport, CA, United States

On September 29, 2016, a CESSNA 182 B was involved in an aviation accident near Lakeport, CA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's delayed action to add power during the approach, which resulted in an impact with terrain prior to the approach end of the runway. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

During approach, the airplane sank excessively; pilot applied power to climb but impacted terrain before the runway. Substantial damage to left wing lift strut. No mechanical failures reported.

Incident Overview

A pilot reported that during the approach phase of flight, the airplane began to sink excessively. The pilot stated that he applied power and attempted to climb, but the airplane impacted terrain prior to reaching the approach end of the runway.

Pilot Report

The pilot further reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. He added that a little more airspeed, a lesser flap setting, and additional altitude could have prevented the accident.

Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing lift strut.

Probable Cause

No probable cause was determined based on the available information.

Contributing factors

PilotDescent/approach/glide path — Not attained/maintained