- Date
- September 4, 1989, 22:10 local (Sep 5, 1989, 05:10 UTC)
- Place
- Lester, WA
- Injuries
- 4 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N44888Cessna 182
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 26, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890904033679A
- Case key
- 41072
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 pilot's loss of control of the aircraft due to his improper use of the aircraft flight controls. Contributing factors in the accident were the moderate turbulence and trace mixed icing in clouds.
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.
Analysis
The pilot encountered clouds with turbulence and trace mixed icing while on an IFR flight across the cascade mtns. The acft was observed off course and assigned altitude by the ARTCC controller, who assigned the flight a block altitude clearance. The pilot reported he was not able to maintain altitude due to turbulence. The acft entered a descent and impacted trees at 4200 ft MSL. Passengers reported the pilot was making full control movements left and right, fore and aft, and that the aircraft became inverted during descent. A witness on the ground reported light rain before the accident and clear skies just after.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N44888
- Reported as
- Cessna 182
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18262870
- Airframe hours
- 4,350
- Engine
- Continental O-470-S, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Evergreen Flying Club
- Registered owner
- Evergreen Flying Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 17, 1989 · 90 hours before
- Departed
- MWH · Moses Lake, WA
- Destination
- RNT · Renton, WA
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 33
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 300 total · 49 in this make and model · 235 as pilot in command · 44 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 340° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SEA, 37 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.