Cessna 182 accident near Fairfield, Pennsylvania, March 23, 1985
On March 23, 1985 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Cessna 182, registered N97700, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fairfield, Pennsylvania. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 23, 1985 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Fairfield, Pennsylvania
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N97700 · registry record · serial 18267171
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING FLT, THE ACFT HAD AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WHILE FLYING IN INSTRUMENT (IFR) CONDITIONS. THE PLT REPORTED THAT ONLY THE ALTIMETER, AIRSPEED INDICATOR & MAG COMPASS WERE OPERATING. HE BECAME SPATIALLY DISORIENTED & THE ACFT ENTERED SEVERAL DIVES & AT LEAST 1 SPIN. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT DESCENDED BELOW THE CLOUDS IN A VALLEY WHERE THE PLT COULD MAINTAIN VISUAL REFERENCES. THE PLT THEN MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON ROUGH/UPHILL TERRAIN WHERE THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED. THE PLT SAID THE SURROUNDING HILLS WERE COVERED WITH CLOUDS. ALSO, HE SAID THAT THE VACUUM PUMP, TURN & BANK INDICATOR, ATTITUDE INDICATOR & STALL WARNING SYS BECAME INOP OR MALFUNCTIONED WHILE HE WAS IN IFR CONDITIONS.
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
- Flight time: 842 hours in all; 750 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 792 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 799 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 18, 1984
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-U (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Penn Shadecrafters,Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: 9N3 Factoryville PA at 12:59 pm
- Destination: GSO Greensboro NC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 400 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:46 pm from MRB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC85LA086.