Cessna 185A accident near De Borgia, Montana, September 22, 1993
On September 22, 1993 at about 2:30 am local time, a Cessna 185A, registered N4176Y, was destroyed in an accident near De Borgia, Montana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S POOR IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED ABOVE A STALL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 22, 1993 · about 2:30 am local time
- Place
- De Borgia, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185A · all 185As on the register
- Registration
- N4176Y · no longer on the register · serial 185-0376
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE MADE A LOW PASS OVER THE UNLIGHTED AIRSTRIP IN DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS. THE WITNESS THOUGHT THAT IT WAS LANDING AT THAT TIME, HOWEVER, THE AIRSPEED WAS TOO FAST. AT THE END OF THE AIRSTRIP, THE AIRPLANE SUDDENLY PULLED UP AND MADE A SHARP LEFT TURN. THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED BEHIND A SMALL HILL AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER, FLAMES WERE VISIBLE. DURING THE POST CRASH INVESTIGATION, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN IN A NOSE DOWN AND LEFT WING LOW ATTITUDE. NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND TO INDICATE A MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION.
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, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 33,700 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-470-F (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: S36 Kent WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 10, 2,500 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.