Cessna 180K accident near Montrose, Colorado, March 30, 1982
On March 30, 1982 at about 4:05 pm local time, a Cessna 180K, registered N2809K, was destroyed in an accident near Montrose, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 30, 1982 · about 4:05 pm local time
- Place
- Montrose, Colorado
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180K · all 180Ks on the register
- Registration
- N2809K · no longer on the register · serial 18053080
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING FLIGHT OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED "HORIZONTAL SNOW SQUALLS." HE REPORTED THAT HE FLEW THROUGH THE SNOW SQUALL FOR ABOUT 25 MILES WHILE MAINTAINING GROUND CONTACT. HE APPROACHED A CLOUD LAYER, BUT WAS ABLE TO FLY OVER IT AT 16,500 FT MSL. AS HE CONTINUED, THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH. WITH THE TEMPERATURE AT -15 DEG FAHRENHEIT (BELOW YELLOW ARC ON CARB AIR TEMP GAUGE), HE WAS RELUCTANT TO USE THE CARB HEAT. AFTER SWITCHING TANKS AND MAGS WITH NO IMPROVEMENT, HE APPLIED FULL CARB HEAT. HOWEVER, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN ROUGH AND FINALLY STOPPED. HE ENTERED THE CLOUDS, AND WITH NO VACUUM SUCTION, DESCENDED USING NEEDLE, BALL AND AIRSPEED. HE TURNED INTO THE WIND TO REDUCE THE GROUND SPEED, AND AT ABOUT 10,000 FT, THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED AND CAME TO REST IN TREES. THE ELT OPERATED, BUT THE ANTENNA WAS BROKEN. THE PILOT MADE A SHELTER, REMAINED OVERNIGHT AND WAS RESCUED ON THE FOLLOWING AFTERNOON. NO ENGINE PROBLEM WAS FOUND EXCEPT THE PLASTIC FOAM INDUCTION AIR FILTER CONTAINED WATER WHEN CHECKED.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,254 hours in all; 368 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 366 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 136 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-4 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Taos NM at 7:00 am
- Destination: Aspen CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 30 knots
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.