- Date
- January 21, 1995, 14:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hillsboro, OR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N748Cessna A185E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 19, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950121000749A
- Case key
- 42101
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.
A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Analysis
The pilot stated that shortly after take off, that the engine lost power. The pilot was unable to regain full power and elected to execute a forced landing to an open soft field. During the landing roll, the airplane collided with soft terrain and the landing gear collapsed. There was no evidence found to indicate a mechanical failure or malfunction. The pilot stated that he suspected fuel contamination; however, there was no evidence to substantiate this claim.
Factual narrative
On January 21, 1995, at 1430 Pacific standard time, a Cessna A185E, N748, experienced a loss of engine power shortly after take off from the Starks Twin Oaks Airport, Hillsboro, Oregon. The pilot initiated a forced landing to an open field where during the landing roll, the airplane collided with the terrain. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured.
The pilot reported that after the airplane attained an altitude of 1,500 feet, he leveled off. Shortly thereafter, the engine lost power to idle. The pilot was unable to regain full power to the engine and he elected to execute a forced landing to an open soft field. During the landing roll, the landing gear separated and the right wing was damaged.
During an engine examination, there was no evidence found to indicate a mechanical failure or malfunction. The pilot stated that he suspected possible fuel contamination, however, there was no evidence to substantiate this claim.
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
- N748
- Reported as
- Cessna A185E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18502035
- Airframe hours
- 3,734
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D23, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Wittenberg, Dennis E.
- Registered owner
- Wittenberg, Dennis E.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 17, 1994 · 60 hours before
- Departed
- 7S3 · OR
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 900 total · 200 in this make and model · 25 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HIO, 7 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.