Cessna 182A accident near Weippe, Idaho, February 22, 2024
On February 22, 2024 at about 9:25 pm local time, a 1957 Cessna 182A, registered N6323B, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Weippe, Idaho (The Last Resort 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 pilot’s failure to secure the oil filler cap during the preflight inspection, which resulted in a precautionary landing on the soft surface and subsequent nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 22, 2024 · about 9:25 pm local time
- Place
- Weippe, Idaho · The Last Resort · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182A, built 1957 · all 182As on the register
- Registration
- N6323B · registry record · serial 34223
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, as he exited the airport traffic pattern, he noticed that engine oil was accumulating on the left portion of the windscreen, and he decided to make a precautionary landing. During the approach, the left portion of the windscreen was obscured, and the pilot switched from the left to the right seat. The pilot fastened his seat belt, continued the approach, and touched down on a soft spot on the snow-covered turf runway just short of his aim point. The airplane’s nose landing gear dug into the soft surface and the airplane nosed over. Additionally, the pilot reported that during his postflight inspection, he noticed that the oil filler cap was separated from the filler port and dangling by its security chain. The pilot opined that during his preflight inspection, he saw the oil filler cap but did not physically twist the cap to ensure its security. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.
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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
- Part(s) separation from AC during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Eng oil sys (airframe furnish) › Oil storage (airframe furnish) › Incorrect use/operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Snow/slush/ice covered surface › Effect on equipment
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 24,800 hours in all; 745 in this make and model; 98 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 4,500 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 24, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,015 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 21, 2024; 0.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470-L (piston); 5,013 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 1,700 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.35 inHg
- Observation at 8:52 am from KP69, 20 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KP69 221652Z AUTO 00000KT 07/04 A3035 RMK AO1 SLP287 P0004 T00720039=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 15, 2024. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photograph | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.