- Date
- January 30, 1989, 16:30 local (Jan 31, 1989, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- N. Bonneville, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3254YCessna 182
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 40976
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.
Some form of carburetor malfunction or failure which resulted in a loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the planned forced landing approach by the plt which resulted in the airplane landing short of the desired landing site.
Analysis
The plt purchased the acft and obtained a ferry permit (delinquent annual). After the first stop, the plt experienced difficulty starting the eng. The eng would start then die on throttle application. A mechanic advised the plt that the carb heat was in need of an overhaul. During cruise flt, the plt noted visible moisture on the windshield and applied carb heat. The plt later noted the carb heat temp 'in yellow' and added more heat after which the eng quit. The plt attempted to restart the eng and the eng would fire but die on throttle application. A forced landing was attempted on an island. The acft touched down 100 ft short and sank. Disassembly and inspection of the carb showed no mech failure or undue wear/tear; however, inspection failed to reveal if the carb was set within specs.
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
- N3254Y
- Reported as
- Cessna 182
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 51828
- Airframe hours
- 3,697
- Engine
- Continental O-470-L, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Bernard A. Maxwell
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 26, 1986 · 51 hours before
- Departed
- ONO · Ontario, OR
- Destination
- WA72 · Yelm, 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
- 41
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 420 total · 12 in this make and model · 380 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 15 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PDX, 22 nm away
Other investigations on N3254Y · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.