Cessna 180 accident near Amarillo, Texas, October 27, 1984
On October 27, 1984 at about 4:10 am local time, a Cessna 180, registered N602RD, was destroyed in an accident near Amarillo, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. 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
- October 27, 1984 · about 4:10 am local time
- Place
- Amarillo, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N602RD · registry record · serial 31788
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
LAST RADIO CONTACT WAS A CLEARENCE TO DESCEND TO 5,000 FT MSL TO WHICH THE PLT RESPONDED 'TWO ROMEO DELTA.' CLOUD TOPS WERE NEAR 5,000 FT MSL. ACFT IMPACTED IN A HIGH SPEED DIVE APRX 10 DEG PAST VERTICLE. PLT RECEIVED COM/INST CERTIFICATE ON 12/14/84 AND THIS IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN HIS FIRST FLT IN ACTUAL IMC.
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; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 7, 1983
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: E19 Gruver OK at 3:34 am
- Destination: AMA Amarillo TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 220° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from AMA, 16 miles away
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.