Cessna 182M accident near North Bend, Oregon, April 11, 1990
On April 11, 1990 at about 5:50 pm local time, a Cessna 182M, registered N71779, was destroyed in an accident near North Bend, Oregon (North Bend airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT DID NOT FOLLOW THE PUBLISHED IFR PROCEDURE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 11, 1990 · about 5:50 pm local time
- Place
- North Bend, Oregon · North Bend · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182M · all 182Ms on the register
- Registration
- N71779 · no longer on the register · serial 18259753
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT THE END OF A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT, THE PILOT WAS CLEARED TO THE ILS 4 APPROACH. THE PILOT INITIATED A MISSED APPROACH DURING THE FIRST ATTEMPT AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO HOLD AT THE FAF. THE PILOT WAS THEN CLEARED FOR THE ILS APPROACH FOR THE SECOND TIME. THE PILOT THEN TURNED TOWARD THE AIRPORT WITHOUT COMPLETING THE PUBLISHED PROCEDURE TURN AND PROCEDED INBOUND TO THE RUNWAY AT AN ALTITUDE 3,000 FEET ABOVE THE MINIMUM PUBLISHED ALTITUDE. THE RADAR RETURNS INDICATE THAT THE FLIGHT WAS ESTABLISHED ON THE LOCALIZER WITH RADAR CONTACT LOST WHEN THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED BELOW 3,100 FEET AND WAS DIRECTLY OVER THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED INTO HILLY TERRAIN APROXIMATELY 2 MILES NORTH EAST OF THE RUNWAY ON A HEADING OF 40 DEGREES.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,056 hours in all; 795 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 811 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,747 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 2, 1990; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 069 Petaluma CA at 2:00 pm
- Destination: OTH North Bend OR
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 4, 5,330 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 300 ft; ovct at 600 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:35 pm from OTH, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.