Cessna 180 accident near Salmon, Idaho, July 6, 1983
On July 6, 1983 at about 1:00 am local time, a Cessna 180, registered N7640A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Salmon, Idaho (Flying B. Ranch airport). 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
- July 6, 1983 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Salmon, Idaho · Flying B. Ranch · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N7640A · no longer on the register · serial 32537
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT SAID HE ENCOUNTERED A HIGH SINK RATE DURING THE APPROACH. DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS LOST AFTER THE PILOT FAILED TO ARREST THE SINK RATE AND MADE A HARD LANDING. THE ACFT LEFT THE RUNWAY AND COLLIDED WITH A FENCE BEFORE COMING TO REST.
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: 335 hours in all; 91 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 244 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,440 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 4, 1983
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 2,200 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.