Cessna 180K accident near Garfield, Washington, October 7, 1993
On October 7, 1993 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 180K, registered N61946, was substantially damaged in an accident near Garfield, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
CONNECTING ROD BOLT FATIGUE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 7, 1993 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Garfield, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180K · all 180Ks on the register
- Registration
- N61946 · registry record · serial 18052815
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE THE AIRPLANE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 500 FEET AGL, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO VIBRATE AND SHAKE. THE PILOT SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN AND INITIATED A FORCED LANDING TO AN OPEN AREA. DURING THE GROUND ROLL, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE ROUGH TERRAIN AND GROUND LOOPED. POST-CRASH INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE NUMBER THREE CONNECTING ROD WAS BROKEN. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE BREAKING AND DAMAGE OF THE NUMBER THREE CONNECTING ROD WAS THE RESULT OF FATIGUE FRACTURE OF ONE OF THE CONNECTING ROD BOLTS.
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: 7,500 hours in all; 3,400 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 6, 1993; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-U (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SFF Spokane WA at 6:00 pm
- Destination: S80 Grangeville ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 800 ft; not recorded at 800 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°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.