Cessna 182A accident near Emmett, Idaho, August 5, 2002
On August 5, 2002 at about 3:20 pm local time, a Cessna 182A, registered N4085D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Emmett, Idaho. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from power transmission lines while maneuvering.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 5, 2002 · about 3:20 pm local time
- Place
- Emmett, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182A · all 182As on the register
- Registration
- N4085D · no longer on the register · serial 34785
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was conducting an agriculture application flight when the aircraft he was piloting collided with power lines. According to witnesses, the airplane was maneuvering from south to north, west of a canal. One of the witnesses reported that the airplane was in a turn to the left when the upper (right) wing struck a series of high-tension power lines. He reported that after the wing struck the power lines, it collapsed back against the fuselage and the airplane fell to the ground. A second witness reported that the pilot had completed three passes, and shortly after starting the fourth pass, the witness heard a bang that sounded much like a large electrical transformer exploding.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 150 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,966 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 10, 2002
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S78 Emmett ID at 12:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 3:35 pm from KEUL, 16 miles away
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.