Cessna 304A accident near Ephrata, Washington, November 26, 1983
On November 26, 1983 at about 10:11 pm local time, a Cessna 304A, registered N98567, was destroyed in an accident near Ephrata, Washington (Ephrata airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- November 26, 1983 · about 10:11 pm local time
- Place
- Ephrata, Washington · Ephrata · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 304A
- Registration
- N98567 · no longer on the register · serial 0036
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A HILLTOP DURING A MISSED APPROACH IN IMC WEATHER. THE ACFT WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. THE PLT STATED VISUAL CONTACT WAS EST AT ABOUT 2000 FT MSL BUT GROUND FEATURES WERE MASKED IN SNOW. WHEN THE PLT DID NOT SEE THE AIRPORT AT THE PROPER TIME HE COMMENCED A MISSED APPROACH AND THE ACFT STRUCK THE GROUND. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE OBS(VOR COURSE INDICATOR) WAS SET ON 222 DEGREES INSTEAD OF 202 DEGREES FOR THE PUBLISHED INBOUND HEADING. THE RESULTANT COURSE PASSED DIRECTLY OVER THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE ACFT WAS NOT OBSERVED ON RADAR BECAUSE OF ITS LOW ALT.
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; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,948 hours in all; 1,590 in this make and model; 440 in the last 90 days; 170 in the last 30 days; 4,783 as pilot in command; 2,580 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,951 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 16, 1983; 57 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,990 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TS10-520-N (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: BFI Seattle WA at 8:28 pm
- Destination: 2SO Twisp WA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 29, 7,300 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 pm from EPH, 2 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.