Cessna 180K accident near Walton, Oregon, October 21, 1987
On October 21, 1987 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna 180K, registered N2754K, was destroyed in an accident near Walton, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed and 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
- October 21, 1987 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Walton, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180K · all 180Ks on the register
- Registration
- N2754K · no longer on the register · serial 18053061
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT FLYING WESTBOUND TOWARD A PASS AT A LOW ALTITUDE ABOVE THE GROUND NEAR THE BASE OF LOW STRATUS CLOUDS. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A TREE AT THE TOP OF A RIDGELINE IN MOUNT/HILLY TERRAIN ON A NORTHEASTERLY HEADING, TRAVELED 1/2 MILE AND CRASHED INTO A HEAVILY WOODED HILLSIDE. A WITNESS LOCATED ON THE RIDGELINE HEARD THE INITIAL TREE IMPACT AND SAW FALLING DEBRIS BUT WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE AIRCRAFT DUE TO FOG.
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: 109 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 678 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 20, 1987; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Oakridge OR at 4:00 pm
- Destination: 6S2 Florence OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 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.