Cessna 182J accident near Salem, Oregon, May 15, 2003
On May 15, 2003 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182J, registered N2913F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Salem, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Loss of power in cruise flight due to a catastrophic engine failure for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 15, 2003 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Salem, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182J · all 182Js on the register
- Registration
- N2913F · no longer on the register · serial 18257013
- 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 while cruising at 11,500 feet in order to get over some clouds, the engine slowly started losing power. Because it appeared to him that it might be carburetor icing, the pilot applied carburetor heat, but the engine continued to lose more power. Eventually the engine lost enough power that the pilot was unable to hold altitude, and he therefore found it necessary to descend and attempt a forced landing in an open field. Although the touchdown was uneventful, during the landing roll the aircraft encountered some rough terrain, resulting in substantial damage. A post-accident engine teardown inspection found a large hole in the top of the crankcase, and numerous internal parts failures. There were also several components within the engine that displayed coloration signatures consistent with heat stress due to lack of lubrication, but an inspection of the oil filter, oil filter adapter, propeller governor, push rod seals, oil pressure line, dipstick tube, oil sump quick drain, oil pump, tachometer drive, and oil filler port/cap found no evidence of a pre-event oil leak. Ultimately, the initiating event leading to the sequence of events resulting in the catastrophic engine failure could not be determined.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,600 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HIO Hillsboro OR at 10:20 pm
- Destination: HNW Placerville CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 11 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 pm from KSLE, 4 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.