Cessna 185C accident near Palouse, Washington, July 5, 1994
On July 5, 1994 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Cessna 185C, registered N5833T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Palouse, Washington. 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 INADVERTENT DISORIENTATION OF THE PILOT AFTER ENTERING INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. FOG WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 1994 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Palouse, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185C · all 185Cs on the register
- Registration
- N5833T · no longer on the register · serial 1850733
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE EN ROUTE FROM ONE PRIVATE AIRSTRIP TO ANOTHER A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH ROLLING TERRAIN IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. A WITNESS REPORTED THAT HE HEARD AN AIRPLANE CIRCLING THE AREA, THEN HE HEARD A THUD. WHEN HE WENT TO INVESTIGATE, THE AREA WAS COVERED WITH DENSE FOG AND VISIBILITY WAS LIMITED TO 75 FEET. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE 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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 16,800 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 6, 1994
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-470-F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Tensed ID at 5:00 pm
- Destination: WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: 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.