Cessna 182N accident near Kalispell, Montana, September 9, 1983
On September 9, 1983 at about 6:50 pm local time, a Cessna 182N, registered N92368, was destroyed in an accident near Kalispell, Montana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the terrain while attempting to maneuver back to the departure airport after encountering icing conditions. Factors include icing conditions, mountainous terrain, and low ceilings.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 9, 1983 · about 6:50 pm local time
- Place
- Kalispell, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182N · all 182Ns on the register
- Registration
- N92368 · no longer on the register · serial 18260174
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed on an instrument flight plan on a route where mountain obscuration, clouds, precipitation, and possible icing conditions had been forecast. Although the pilot had been cleared to 12,000 feet, he reported that he was having trouble climbing above 11,000 feet. Soon thereafter he reported that he was reversing course and returning to the airport of departure. Although the air traffic controller told him he could not clear him below 11,000 feet, the pilot reported that the aircraft was continuing to descend. The last clearly audible report from the pilot was that he was down to 8,800 feet, and another pilot in the area reported that he thought he heard the pilot say he had descended to 6,200 feet. Soon thereafter the aircraft impacted the mountainous terrain in an area where other aircraft were then reporting airframe icing conditions.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: FCA Kalispell MT at 6:26 pm
- Destination: BIL Billings MT
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,500 ft; scat at 3,800 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 6:57 pm from KFCA, 13 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.