Cessna 182J accident near Gold Beach, Oregon, September 9, 2001
On September 9, 2001 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Cessna 182J, registered N3056F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gold Beach, Oregon (Half Moon Bar Lodge airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to attain proper alignment while on final approach and clearance from trees. The pilot's lack of total experience in this type of mountain flying operation was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 9, 2001 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Gold Beach, Oregon · Half Moon Bar Lodge · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182J · all 182Js on the register
- Registration
- N3056F · registry record · serial 18257156
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he had never been into this airstrip before that was listed as a difficult approach, required advanced mountain skills and that instruction from an experienced mountain flying instructor should be obtained before landing there. The approach is through a narrow mountain canyon, following a river and circling a conical peak. The threshold to the airstrip is seen by the pilot about 1500 feet away. If the approach is stable, the pilot then makes a right turn through an approximate 100-foot wide opening in the trees. The pilot reported that when he made the right turn to final approach, the left wing was on the tree line and it was "really tight." The pilot increased the right banking turn, which put the aircraft on a collision course with the trees on the right side. The pilot banked to the left but the aircraft felt "sluggish. The pilot added power and raised the nose of the aircraft to try and go-around, however, the stall horn sounded and the pilot knew that he was not going to avoid a collision with the trees. The pilot then lowered the nose of the airplane, reduced power and leveled the wings. The aircraft then collided with the trees and subsequently the ground. The pilot reported that he had some mountain flying experience and that his passenger, a private pilot, had been into this airstrip the week before. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the aircraft at the time of the accident.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 327 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 259 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 1, 1999
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,213 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 17, 2001; 58 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: A30 Fort Jones CA at 2:45 pm
- Destination: Gold Beach OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 1,350 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.