Cessna 182 accident near Port Washington, Wisconsin, April 1, 1992
On April 1, 1992 at about 2:18 am local time, a Cessna 182, registered N1230D, was destroyed in an accident near Port Washington, Wisconsin. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE CONTINUATION OF VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC CONDITIONS, BY A (PILOT) UNKNOWN, AND NOT MAINTAINING AIRCRAFT CONTROL BY A (PILOT) UNKNOWN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 1, 1992 · about 2:18 am local time
- Place
- Port Washington, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N1230D · no longer on the register · serial 33697
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED A CONTROLLED AIRPORT IN NIGHT VMC CONDITIONS, TO THE NORTH NORTHEAST WITH PIREP INFORMATION FROM THE LOCAL CONTROLLER OF POSSIBLE IMC CONDITIONS IN THE DIRECTION OF FLIGHT. FIFTEEN MINUTES AFTER TAKING OFF THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED CONTROLLED FLIGHT AND IMPACTED THE TERRAIN. RESIDENTS IN THE AREA OF THE IMPACT, WHO HEARD THE AIRPLANE, NOTED A HEAVY SNOW SHOWER IN PROGRESS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, WITH VISIBILITY RESTRICTED TO LESS THAN 900 FEET. NEITHER PILOT IN THE AIRPLANE WAS INSTRUMENT RATED.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 710 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 29, 1991
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MWC Milwaukee WI at 2:03 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 340° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:45 am from MWC, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.