Cessna 185 accident near Fort Lewis, Washington, March 13, 1994
On March 13, 1994 at about 11:20 pm local time, a Cessna 185, registered N4732E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Lewis, Washington. 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
THE FUEL SHUTOFF VALVE SEIZED IN A PARTIALLY OPEN POSITION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 13, 1994 · about 11:20 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Lewis, Washington
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N4732E · registry record · serial 18503849
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT OF THE CESSNA AMPHIBIAN EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF AVAILABLE POWER AND ATTEMPTED TO RETURN FOR A LANDING ON THE LAKE FROM WHICH HE HAD DEPARTED. POST CRASH INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE FUEL SHUTOFF VALVE WAS SEIZED IN A PARTIALLY RESTRICTED POSITION, RESTRICTING FUEL FLOW.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,105 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 1,950 as pilot in command; 150 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,251 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 30, 1993; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:05 pm from TCM
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.
Other NTSB records under N4732E the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.