Cessna 182M accident near Sandpoint, Idaho, September 4, 1999
On September 4, 1999 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna 182M, registered N71685, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sandpoint, Idaho (Bird 2 airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper flare. Factors include a runway that sloped uphill, and the pilot's failure to familiarize himself with the destination airstrip prior to departure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 4, 1999 · about 6:30 pm local time · cases in 1999
- Place
- Sandpoint, Idaho · Bird 2 · cases near this airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182M · all 182Ms on the register
- Registration
- N71685 · registry record · serial 18259718
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was flying into a private strip that he had not familiarized himself with. Although he was not aware of it, the runway he was landing on sloped uphill. Because of the upslope, the pilot misjudged his flare and impacted the terrain hard enough to cause substantial damage to the aircraft.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 790 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SFF Spokane WA at 6:00 pm
- Destination: ID19
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 1,900 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N71685 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 182 Skylane 11,834 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,677 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental O-470-M 4 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Bird NR 2 Airport · nearest airport
- Felts Field · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Idaho 1,535 since 1982 · 287 in the last ten years
- Idaho 4,199 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/SEA99LA156.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.