Cessna 182E accident near Grangeville, Idaho, August 18, 1996
On August 18, 1996 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182E, registered N3270Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grangeville, Idaho (Pope/Devleig airport). 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
failure of the pilot to maintain proper runway alignment and clearance from a fence post during landing. Factors relating to the accident were: an animal (deer) on the approach end of the runway, an encounter with a downdraft, and a fence post near the edge of the airstrip.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 1996 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Grangeville, Idaho · Pope/Devleig · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182E · all 182Es on the register
- Registration
- N3270Y · no longer on the register · serial 18254270
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he was on short final when a deer darted from the woods onto the approach end of the runway. He pulled up to miss the deer, and then continued his attempt to land on the 2100 foot grass strip. After passing over the deer, the aircraft drifted to the side of the dog-legged runway, encountered a downdraft, and collided with a fence post near the left edge of the airstrip. After hitting the post, the aircraft veered to the left and flipped over.
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: 2,850 hours in all; 720 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 2,420 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 29, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S67 Nampa ID at 12:30 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0, 2,100 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°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.