Cessna 180J accident near Lopez, Washington, January 20, 1997
On January 20, 1997 at about 4:30 am local time, a Cessna 180J, registered N42376, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lopez, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper decision to initiate flight into marginal VFR conditions at night which led to inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and his failure to maintain adequate clearance from terrain. Factors contributing to the accident were a low ceiling, fog, and dark night conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 20, 1997 · about 4:30 am local time
- Place
- Lopez, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180J · all 180Js on the register
- Registration
- N42376 · registry record · serial 18052348
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport pilot decided to depart from a private airstrip at night and in reported marginal VFR conditions. He did not receive a weather briefing nor file a flight plan prior to the flight. Immediately after departure, about 150 feet above the ground, he inadvertently entered instrument meteorological conditions in the form of clouds and fog. He lost sight of the terrain and became disoriented. The airplane impacted trees and then descended into the water. The airplane was substantially damaged and sank. The pilot and his passenger escaped with minor injuries. The pilot indicated that there were no mechanical malfunctions, and that he should not have flown due to the uncertainty of favorable weather.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,300 hours in all; 2,100 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 5,260 as pilot in command; 12 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,105 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 16, 1996; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,190 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Decatur Island WA at 4:30 am
- Destination: WA38 Monroe WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 140° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 700 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 am from NUW, 18 miles away
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.