- Date
- December 30, 1987, 15:05 local (23:05 UTC)
- Place
- Molalla, OR
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2758FCessna 182J
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 11, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19871230078809A
- Case key
- 40714
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The recently certificated, non-instrument rated, pvt plt flew into the an area of low ceilings, low vis, rain & snw w/o filing a flt plan. No record of a wx briefing was fnd. A surviving pax rprtd that drg flt, the plt flew into clds that were initially scattered, but as the flt contd, the clds bcm thicker & darker. The pax said they flew into 'ice clouds.'ice accumulated on the acft & the eng bgn to falter. Rprtdly, carb heat was applied too late to prevent eng stoppage. A distress call WA made at 1501 PST. Soon thereafter, the plt transmitted they were 'going down' & then radar & radio ctc were lost. The acft collided with trees on mtn terrain & crashed. The emerg locator bcn (ELT) did not oper. The acftwas not fnd until 1012 PST the next day aprx 1 mi fm where radar ctct was lost. There was evidence that snw & ice had accumulated in the eng air filter. Ice was fnd in the wire screen & plenum bhnd the filter. Carb heat was on. Residents aprx 5 mi away said hvy snw was falling. Two defective transistors were fnd in the ELT which would have prevented opn.
Analysis
The recently certificated, non-instrument rated, pvt plt flew into an area of low ceilings, low vis, rain & snw w/o filing a flt plan. No record of a wx briefing was fnd. A surviving pax rprtd that drg flt, the plt flew into clds that were initially scattered, but as the flt contd, the clds bcm thicker & darker. The pax said they flew into 'ice clouds.'ice accumulated on the acft & the eng bgn to falter. Rprtdly, carb heat was applied too late to prevent eng stoppage. A distress call was made at 1501 PST. Soon thereafter, the plt transmitted they were 'going down' & then radar & radio ctc were lost. The acft collided with trees on mtn terrain & crashed. The emerg locator bcn (ELT) did not oper. The acftwas not fnd until 1012 PST the next day aprx 1 mi fm where radar ctct was lost. There was evidence that snw & ice had accumulated in the eng air filter. Ice was fnd in the wire screen & plenum bhnd the filter. Carb heat was on. Residents aprx 5 mi away said hvy snw was falling. Two defective transistors were fnd in the ELT which would have prevented opn.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2758F
- Reported as
- Cessna 182J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18256858
- Airframe hours
- 1,677
- Engine
- Continental O-470-R, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Walter W. Breeden
- Registered owner
- Walter Breeden
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 25, 1987 · 36 hours before
- Departed
- LNS · Los Banos, CA
- Destination
- WA05 · Battle Ground, WA
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 129 total · 64 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 5 knots
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SLE, 22 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N2758F · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.