Cessna 182P accident near Port Angeles, Washington, August 4, 2004
On August 4, 2004 at about 4:53 am local time, a Cessna 182P, registered N79404, was destroyed in an accident near Port Angeles, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's VFR flight into IMC and his failure to maintain clearance from trees. Trees, mountainous terrain, dark night conditions, clouds and VFR flight into IMC were factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 4, 2004 · about 4:53 am local time
- Place
- Port Angeles, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N79404 · no longer on the register · serial 18261815
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The passengers reported that shortly after takeoff in dark night conditions, the pilot made a turn toward rising terrain. During the climb, the aircraft entered clouds. The passenger could see terrain on both sides of the aircraft and questioned the pilot as to what mountain she was seeing. The pilot responded, "just a minute." The aircraft then suddenly broke out of the cloud and the passenger could see trees in front of the airplane. The pilot pulled up, but the aircraft collided with the tree tops and tumbled through the trees for several hundred feet before coming to rest. The passengers reported no engine or aircraft malfunction or physiological problems with the pilot at the time. Rain, clouds and fog were reported in the area at the time.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 668 hours in all; 37 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 523 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 16, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 30, 2004
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-50 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CLM Port Angeles WA at 4:45 am
- Destination: BFI Seattle WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 280° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,700 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 am from CLM, 6 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.