Cessna 182 accident near Fall City, Washington, July 8, 2014
On July 8, 2014 at about 3:07 pm local time, a 1956 Cessna 182, registered N5816B, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Fall City, Washington (Fall City airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s decision to depart in low-ceiling conditions and his continued visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 2014 · about 3:07 pm local time
- Place
- Fall City, Washington · Fall City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 F, built 1956 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N5816B · no longer on the register · serial 33816
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot intended to reposition the airplane for maintenance to an airport about 23 nautical miles north-northwest of the departure airport. Low ceilings and fog were predominant in the area, with treetops on the adjacent golf course to the west obscured by fog. At the time of departure, the ceiling at the airport was most likely low, but the pilot elected to depart. Recovered GPS data revealed that, immediately after taking off to the west, the pilot turned to the north toward rising terrain. The pilot then, most likely after encountering a low ceiling, started a left turn, during which the airplane ascended to an altitude of about 515 ft. About 16 seconds after starting the left turn, the airplane had descended to an altitude of about 217 feet and was heading south. The airplane then began to climb, and, 10 seconds later, the airplane had reached an altitude of 577 ft; it then began to descend and reached an altitude of 404 ft 7 seconds later, still on a southerly heading. The descent continued, and, 3 seconds later, the last recorded data point revealed that the airplane was at an altitude of 135 ft and a groundspeed of 124 knots on a southwesterly heading. The airplane subsequently impacted a tree on the golf course, traveled about 200 feet on a westerly heading before impacting a second tree, and came to rest about 60 feet west of the second tree in the middle of a fairway. Multiple witnesses on the golf course reported that the airplane was flying low on a southerly heading and that they heard the engine surge just before impact. All airplane components necessary for flight were accounted for at the accident site. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot likely took off and then realized that the ceiling was too low and the fog too dense for safe flight and attempted to return to the airport. The engine surge likely occurred as the pilot saw the tree just before impact.
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
- VFR encounter with IMC during initial climb defining event
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during maneuvering
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Low visibility › Decision related to condition
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 490 hours in all; 477 in this make and model; 405 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 23, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1WA6 Fall City WA at 3:05 pm
- Destination: S43 Snohomish WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway W, 3,000 ft by 25 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear at 30 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from RNT, 14 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.