- Date
- November 12, 2008, 10:07 local (18:07 UTC)
- Place
- White Swan, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Prior to flight
- Aircraft
- N24658Cessna 182S
- Defining event
- Prior to flight: Security/criminal event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 24, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Aircraft Owner, FAA FSDO, Tribal PD
- FAA report
- 20081112851209A
- Case key
- 69439
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
Collision with terrain while maneuvering for undetermined reasons.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) representatives and investigating police agencies, the airplane was stolen from the owner's hangar. The registered owner of the airplane reported that he last flew the airplane on November 7, 2008. After completing the flight, the airplane was moved to his hangar. On November 12, 2008, a witness observed the airplane circling, at a low altitude. Shortly thereafter, police received reports of a downed airplane in the general area of the earlier sighting. Later that day the airplane was found abandoned. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and fuselage. At the time of this report, the pilot has not been located or identified, and the purpose of the unauthorized flight is not known.
Factual narrative
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) representatives, the Cessna 182S airplane was stolen from the owner's hangar at the Orcas Island Airport (KORS), East Sound, Washington. The registered owner of the airplane reported that he last flew the airplane on November 7, 2008. After completing the flight, the airplane was moved to his hangar. On November 12, 2008, about 0900, a witness observed the airplane circling, at a low altitude, approximately nine miles south of White Swan, Washington. Shortly thereafter, at 0917, Yakama Nations Tribal Police received reports of a downed airplane in the general area of the earlier sighting. Approximately 30 minutes later the airplane was found abandoned. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and fuselage. At the time of this report, the pilot has not been located or identified, and the purpose of the unauthorized flight is not known.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N24658
- Reported as
- Cessna 182S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18280660
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540 SER, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Unknown
- Registered owner
- Rivers Robert J
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2008
- Departed
- KORS · East Sound, WA
- Destination
- Unknown, 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
- Medical
- Unknown
- Flight hours
- 1 total · 1 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.