Cessna 182Q accident near The Dalles, Oregon, April 14, 1994
On April 14, 1994 at about 4:15 am local time, a Cessna 182Q, registered N4887N, was destroyed in an accident near The Dalles, Oregon. 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
AN INFLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 14, 1994 · about 4:15 am local time
- Place
- The Dalles, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182Q · all 182Qs on the register
- Registration
- N4887N · no longer on the register · serial 76439
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE WAS ON A NIGHT FLIGHT FROM A REFUELING STOP AT WINNEMUCCA, NV, TO A REPORTED DESTINATION OF THE LONGVIEW, WA. THE PERSON THAT HELPED SERVICE THE AIRPLANE AT WINNEMUCCA NOTED NOTHING UNUSUAL ABOUT THE PLANE OR EITHER OF THE OCCUPANTS. AFTER DEPARTING WINNEMUCCA, THERE WERE NO REPORTED SIGHTINGS OR CONTACT WITH THE PLANE UNTIL IT REACHED THE AREA OF THE DALLES, OR, WHERE NUMEROUS WITNESSES SAW THE PLANE MANEUVERING. MOST WITNESSES DESCRIBED SEEING THE PLANE IN A CONTINUOUS SERIES OF LOW-LEVEL ERRATIC MANEUVERS WITH REPEATED SHORT TERM RAPID CLIMBS AND DESCENTS. ONE WITNESS SAID THE MOVEMENTS OF THE PLANE WERE SIMILAR TO THAT OF A PILOT PRACTICING STALLS. THOSE, WHO HEARD THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE DESCRIBED IT AS SURGING, SPUTTERING, OR CONSTANTLY CHANGING FROM IDLE TO FULL POWER. SHORTLY BEFORE CRASHING, ONE WITNESS SAW THE AIRPLANE SO LOW THAT IT APPEARED TO BE LANDING. AFTER MANEUVERING FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES, THE PLANE ROLLED INTO A STEEP DESCENT AND CRASHED. IMPACT OCCURRED ABOUT 6 MILES WEST OF THE DALLES AIRPORT. DURING AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE, NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL PROBLEM WAS FOUND; HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED BY IMPACT. A PATHOLOGICAL EXAM OF THE PILOT REVEALED NO MEDICAL PROBLEM; HIS 3RD CLASS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE WAS DATED 3/10/92.
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: 2,100 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 2, 1993
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-U (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WMC Winnemucca NV at 1:30 am
- Destination: KLS Longview WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 290° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,500 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.