Cessna 172N and Cessna 180 mid-air collision near Kent, Washington, February 24, 1984
On February 24, 1984 at about 9:55 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Cessna 172N (N4603F) and Cessna 180 (N4908A), were involved in a mid-air collision near Kent, Washington. 3 people were killed. 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
- February 24, 1984 · about 9:55 pm local time
- Place
- Kent, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident · mid-air collision
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N4603F · no longer on the register · serial 17273066
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N4908A · no longer on the register · serial 32305
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 172N final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT ABOUT 1345 PST, THE PLT OF A CESSNA 172N, N4603F, DEPARTED CREST AIRPARK, KENT, WA, ON A LOCAL PLEASURE FLT. APRX 5 MIN LATER, THE PLT & 1 PASSENGER OF A FLOAT EQUIPPED CESSNA 180, N4908A, TOOK OFF FROM LAKE MERIDAN, KENT, WA, & WAS ALSO ON A LOCAL PLEASURE FLT. AT ABOUT 1355, THE TWO ACFT COLLIDED IN FLT, THEN PLUNGED TO THE GROUND. A WITNESS, WHO SAW BOTH ACFT JUST PRIOR TO THE IN-FLT COLLISION, ESTIMATED THAT THEY WERE AT ABOUT 500 FT AGL WHEN THEY COLLIDED WITH EACH OTHER. HE STATED THAT ONE APPEARED TO BE ON A SOUTHWESTERLY HEADING WHILE THE OTHER SEEMED TO BE TRAVELING TO THE NORTHWEST. HE DID NOT OBSERVE ANY EVASIVE ACTION BY EITHER PLT & BELIEVED THAT NEITHER PLT SAW THE OTHER ACFT AS THEY WERE CONVERGING. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE TWO ACFT COLLIDED LEFT WING TO LEFT WING.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 180 final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT ABOUT 1345 PST, THE PLT OF A CESSNA 172N, N4603F, DEPARTED CREST AIRPARK, KENT, WA, ON A LOCAL PLEASURE FLT. APRX 5 MIN LATER, THE PLT & 1 PASSENGER OF A FLOAT EQUIPPED CESSNA 180, N4908A, TOOK OFF FROM LAKE MERIDIAN, KENT, WA, & WERE ALSO ON A LOCAL PLEASURE FLT. AT APRX 1355, THE TWO ACFT COLLIDED IN FLT, THEN PLUNGED TO THE GROUND. A WITNESS, WHO SAW BOTH ACFT JUST PRIOR TO THE IN-FLT COLLISION, ESTIMATED THAT THEY WERE AT ABOUT 500 FT AGL WHEN THEY COLLIDED WITH EACH OTHER. HE STATED THAT ONE ACFT APPEARED TO BE ON A SOUTHWESTERLY HEADING WHILE THE OTHER SEEMED TO BE TRAVELING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST. HE DID NOT OBSERVE ANY EVASIVE ACTION BY EITHER PLT & BELIEVED THAT NEITHER PLT SAW THE OTHER ACFT AS THEY WERE CONVERGING. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE TWO ACFT COLLIDED LEFT WING TO LEFT WING.
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 for the Cessna 172N from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 123 hours in all; 121 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 97 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,694 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 4, 1984; 41 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S36 at 9:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 40,000 ft; not recorded at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
The factual record for the Cessna 180 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,831 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 3, 1983; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
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.