Smith MINIPLANE accident near Near Rainier, Oregon, April 15, 1983
On April 15, 1983 at about 1:45 am local time, a Smith MINIPLANE, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N94R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Near Rainier, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 1983 · about 1:45 am local time
- Place
- Near Rainier, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Smith MINIPLANE, amateur-built · all MINIPLANEs on the register
- Registration
- N94R · no longer on the register · serial RB-1
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
APRX 20 MIN AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. SEVERAL RESTARTS WERE INITIATED; HOWEVER, THE ENGINE WOULD NOT CONTINUE RUNNING. DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON SANDY TERRAIN, THE NOSE GEAR DUG IN & THE ACFT NOSED OVER THE PLT DESCRIBED THE LOSS OF POWER AS SOUNDING LIKE FUEL STARVATION. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL REPORTED FINDING SMALL AMOUNTS OF DEBRIS IN THE FUEL TANKS WITHIN THE FUEL.
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
- Flight time: 500 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 440 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (expired)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 96 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 1982; 96 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KLS Kelso WA at 1:25 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:00 am from TDO, 23 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.