Cessna 182A accident near Colfax, Washington, June 11, 2012
On June 11, 2012 at about 2:40 pm local time, a Cessna 182A, registered N4715D, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Colfax, Washington (Colfax 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
The total loss of engine power during cruise flight due to the missing carburetor drain plug, which had not been secured with safety wire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 11, 2012 · about 2:40 pm local time
- Place
- Colfax, Washington · Colfax · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182A · all 182As on the register
- Registration
- N4715D · registry record · serial 34815
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after leveling off and beginning the cruise portion of the cross-country flight, the engine lost all power. The private pilot/owner performed a forced landing on a highway; however, just before the landing flare, the airplane’s vertical stabilizer struck a power cable and partially separated from the tailcone. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the carburetor drain plug was missing. The pilot stated that he had flown the airplane using automotive gasoline about 2 months before the accident. When the engine was subsequently difficult to start, the pilot removed the carburetor drain plug to purge the system of automotive fuel. He stated that he did not use safety wire to secure the plug after performing this operation. Maintenance personnel examined the carburetor after the pilot reported that the engine was running rough (about 2 months before the accident) and again during the airplane’s annual inspection (about 1 month before the accident). Although maintenance personnel reported that on both occasions the drain plug was secured with safety wire, physical evidence suggested that the drain plug had never been secured with safety wire. Because of the contradictory statements and inconclusive evidence, it was not possible to determine who was responsible for the unsecured drain plug.
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
What happened, in order
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Incorrect service/maintenance
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Post maintenance inspection › Other/unknown
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,187 hours in all; 751 in this make and model; 33 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 4,187 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 19, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,813 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 17, 2012; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KLWS Lewiston ID at 2:20 pm
- Destination: KSFF Spokane WA
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from KSFF, 54 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.