Cessna 172 accident near Baker City, Oregon, July 31, 1998
On July 31, 1998 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N835T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Baker City, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain terrain clearance and inadequate in-flight planning/decision. Contributing to the accident was mountain obscuration.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 1998 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Baker City, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N835T · registry record · serial 36633
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The passenger reported that as the flight continued, the clouds and fog increased around the aircraft. The passenger recalls that the pilot made altitude and heading changes to remain clear of the clouds. The passenger stated that when the accident occurred, she had her head down and eyes closed because she was airsick. The passenger stated that the engine sound never changed up to the time of the accident. Documentation of the accident site indicates that the aircraft collided with tree tops in steep mountainous terrain, and a level attitude, before coming to rest at the base of a tree stump. Wreckage was distributed along the length of the path for about 150 feet. Prior to departure, the pilot obtained a weather briefing that forecasted isolated thunderstorm activity, mountain obscuration and multiple layers of scattered and broken clouds. The pilot did not possess an instrument rating.
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: 344 hours in all; 156 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 273 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,428 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 1998; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TTD Troutdale OR at 5:00 pm
- Destination: U76 Mountain Home ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:51 pm from BKE, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.