Cessna 185A accident near Lowell, Idaho, May 23, 1993
On May 23, 1993 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Cessna 185A, registered N4080Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lowell, Idaho. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FATIGUE OF THE ROCKER ARM AND UNSUITABLE TERRAIN WHICH WAS ENCOUNTERED DURING THE PRECAUTIONARY LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 23, 1993 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Lowell, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185A · all 185As on the register
- Registration
- N4080Y · registry record · serial 1850280
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE FLYING AT 8000 FEET MSL A PARTIAL POWER LOSS DEVELOPED. WHEN THE PILOT OBSERVED OIL ON THE LEFT WING STRUT HE CHOSE TO EXECUTE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING IN A FIELD TO PREVENT ENGINE SEIZURE. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, IN SOFT TERRAIN, THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER. POST CRASH EXAMINATION REVEALED THE NUMBER TWO CYLINDER EXHAUST ROCKER ARM BROKEN IN HALF. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE ROCKER ARM SEPARATED IN FATIGUE. THE ROCKER ARM(S), WHICH WERE NOT UNDER AN APPROVED STC, HAD BEEN INSTALLED APPROXIMATELY 11 HOURS PREVIOUS TO THE ACCIDENT.
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: 6,000 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 15, 1993; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-470F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 32S Stevensville MT at 4:00 pm
- Destination: 32S
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:51 pm from MSO, 27 miles away
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.