Cessna T240 N636CS

Summary

On 13 July 2025 at about 23:29 local time, a Cessna T240 registered N636CS was involved in an accident near San Diego, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 July 2025 at 23:29

Classification

Accident

Location

San Diego, California, United States

Coordinates

32.8168, -117.1408

Aircraft

Cessna T240

Registration

N636CS

Category

Airplane

Year built

2014

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ramona → San Diego

Aircraft damage

Unknown

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR25LA212

1 person died.

Impact with the ocean for reasons that could not be determined because the pilot and airplane were not located.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

A family friend reported the pilot and airplane missing. The friend stated that they drove the pilot to the departure airport, dropped him off and were meeting him at the intended destination airport. The friend became concerned when the pilot did not arrive and she began to track his location on via a commercial sourced ADS-B system. She also attempted to text him but noted that her messages were not being received by the pilot’s cell phone. Review of the recorded communication between the air traffic controller local controller at the destination airport and the accident pilot revealed that the controller had issued landing instructions for a straight-in approach to runway 28R, which the pilot acknowledged. The controller made repeated attempts to reestablish communication with the pilot; however, no further radio communication from the pilot was received. ADS-B data showed that the airplane’s flight track was consistent for an approach to landing on runway 28 at the destination airport, however, the airplane continued on a southwesterly heading for about 470 nautical miles until the ADS-B data was lost. An Alert Notice (ALNOT) was issued about 16 minutes after ADS-B contact had been lost and a search for the pilot and airplane commenced. Neither the pilot or airplane were located. Land and sea-based searches were suspended 2 days after the airplane went missing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.