Cessna 182S accident near Kennewick, Washington, December 30, 1999
On December 30, 1999 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Cessna 182S, registered N374TC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kennewick, Washington (Vista Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to continue flight into known icing conditions, and his subsequent failure to maintain adequate airspeed on final approach, resulting in a hard landing. Factors included: icing conditions; the pilot's improper decision to continue to his planned destination from an ILS low approach rather than to execute the straight-in ILS approach to a full stop on a more suitable runway for his flight situation; and the pilot's failure to follow proper pilot's operating handbook procedures for an inadvertent icing encounter.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 30, 1999 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Kennewick, Washington · Vista Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182S · all 182Ss on the register
- Registration
- N374TC · registry record · serial 18280374
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was informed of icing conditions prior to entering the clouds. Although the aircraft is prohibited from flight into known icing conditions, the pilot elected to continue the flight into the icing conditions and land at his planned destination. Once the aircraft entered the clouds, it immediately began picking up ice, ultimately preventing it from attaining any significant climb rate and necessitating a nearly full-power approach at an airspeed 30 to 40 knots faster than the airplane's normal flaps-up landing speed. The pilot performed an instrument landing system (ILS) approach to an airport 5 miles from his destination, and after breaking out under the clouds, canceled instrument flight rules (IFR) and proceeded under visual flight rules (VFR) to the destination airport (whose runway is approximately 3,100 feet shorter than the runway to which the ILS approach is made.) The pilot reported that about 30-50 feet above ground level on final approach, he reduced power and extended flaps from 10 degrees to 20 degrees (the 'Inadvertent Icing Encounter' emergency procedure in the pilot's operating handbook specifies that wing flaps be left retracted.) The aircraft's speed immediately dropped, as did the left wing. The aircraft descended and the airplane landed hard, bouncing once before settling to the runway surface. The pilot reported that after he taxied to the ramp and inspected the airplane, he noted about 1/2 inch of ice on all flight surfaces.
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: 847 hours in all; 184 in this make and model; 52 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 783 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 904 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 21, 1999; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-AB1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SMF Sacramento CA at 5:55 pm
- Destination: S98
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 20, 4,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,200 ft; scat at 800 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from PSC, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.