Cessna T303 accident near Willard, Washington, January 4, 1983
On January 4, 1983 at about 2:18 am local time, a Cessna T303, registered N6087C, was destroyed in an accident near Willard, Washington. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 5 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 4, 1983 · about 2:18 am local time
- Place
- Willard, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 5 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T303 · all T303s on the register
- Registration
- N6087C · registry record · serial T30300144
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
BEFORE TAKEOFF, THE PLT RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING & FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN TO IDAHO FALLS, ID AT 1300 FT. HE TOOK OFF AT 1804 PST. AT 1814 PST, JUST PRIOR TO CALLING LEVEL AT 13,000 FT, HE REPORTED HE WAS ENCOUNTERING LIGHT TURBULENCE & LIGHT RIME ICE. APRX 4 MIN LATER, THE PLT REPORTED EXPERIENCING HEAVY VIBRATIONS. HE REQUESTED & RECEIVED A CLEARANCE TORETURN TO PORTLAND & DESCEND TO 7000 FT. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THE ACFT ENTERED A TIGHT DESCENDING TURN WHICH THE PLT REPORTED HE WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY ARRESTING. HE REPORTED REGAINING DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AT 6000 FT & SAID THE ACFT HAD A HEAVY LOAD OF ICE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE ACFT CRASHED IN MOUNTAINS AT THE 3130 FT LEVEL. DUE TO DAMAGE FROM IMPACT & WRECKAGE RETRIEVAL, THE PREIMPACT CONDITION OF ALL DEICING COMPONENTS WAS NOT VERIFIED. THE ACFT WAS NOT CERTIFIED FOR FLT IN KNOWN ICING CONDITIONS. MODERATE MIXED ICING CONDITION & MODERATE TURBULENCE WERE FORECAST. THE PLT WAS BRIEFED THERE HAD BEEN REPORTS OF MODERATE ICING THRU-OUT THE AREA.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,657 hours in all; 100 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 25 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,150 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-AE (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PDX Portland OR
- Destination: IDA Idaho Falls ID
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,300 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 am from DLS, 24 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N6087C the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA83FA038.