Cessna 180B accident near Mullan, Idaho, September 20, 1993
On September 20, 1993 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 180B, registered N985DB, was destroyed in an accident near Mullan, Idaho. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S POOR IN FLIGHT DECISION, AND HIS INADVERTENT CONTINUATION OF A VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. FACTORS INCLUDE LOW CEILINGS, SNOW, FOG, RAIN, AND MOUNTAINOUS/HILLY TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 20, 1993 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Mullan, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180B · all 180Bs on the register
- Registration
- N985DB · registry record · serial 50507
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT, WHO WAS ATTEMPTING TO FOLLOW THE FREEWAY THROUGH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, WAS FLYING VFR UNDER LOW CEILINGS. AS HE FLEW THROUGH LOOKOUT PASS AT ABOUT 200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, HE ENCOUNTERED AN AREA OF FOG, SNOW AND RAIN. AFTER INADVERTENTLY ENTERING THE CLOUDS, THE PILOT CLIMBED IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A RIDGE AT AN ALTITUDE THAT WAS ABOUT 900 FEET HIGHER THAN THE PASS.
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: 190 hours in all; 12 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 30, 1992; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470R (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: MSO Missoula MT at 6:00 pm
- Destination: S22 Hermiston OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.