Piper PA-28-180 accident near John Day, Oregon, August 30, 1986
On August 30, 1986 at about 2:24 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N3618R, was destroyed in an accident near John Day, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
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
- August 30, 1986 · about 2:24 pm local time
- Place
- John Day, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N3618R · no longer on the register · serial 28-5713
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOTS DEPARTED HERMISTON EN ROUTE TO BURNS, OREGON. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED; HOWEVER, MOUNTAIN TOPS ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT WERE OCCASIONALLY OBSTRUCTED BY LOCAL CLOUD LAYERS. DURING THE COURSE OF THE FLIGHT THE PILOT(S) ENTERED INTO AND THEN CONTINUED WITHIN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. SOMETIME THEREAFTER, THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH SHARPLY UPSLOPING MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.
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: 184 hours in all; 119 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 159 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, July 23, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 2,175 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A3A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: S22 Hermiston OR
- Destination: BNO Burns OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,500 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:52 pm from BKE, 52 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.