On January 17, 2010, about 1622 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 182R, N702, collided with mountainous terrain 9 miles northwest of Corvallis, Oregon. The Department of Fish and Wildlife operated the airplane as a public-use positioning flight. The commercial pilot and passenger were killed, and the airplane was destroyed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan had been filed. The flight originated at Newport Municipal Airport, Newport, Oregon, about 1600.
According to Department of Fish and Wildlife officials, the airplane had completed a wildlife survey in the vicinity of Olympia, Washington. The airplane landed at Newport Municipal Airport, purchased fuel, and the crew updated their flight plan. They departed Newport about 1600 for the Corvallis airport, which is where the airplane was based. At 1833, the airplane was reported overdue and search efforts commenced. Initial radar data indicated that the airplane roughly followed Highway 20 to the east from Newport, which leads to Corvallis. The last radar return occurred at 1622, 2,400 feet mean sea level (msl), in the vicinity of where the wreckage was located. A combination of air and ground search and rescue teams located the wreckage around 0830 on January 18th, by homing in on the airplane's emergency locater transmitter (ELT) beacon. The terrain elevation in the vicinity of the wreckage is approximately 1,500 feet msl.
The Newport Municipal Airport Automated Weather Observation System (AWOS-3) recorded at 1611, winds from 130 degrees, 6 knots gusting to 14; 7 statute miles visibility in rain; scattered clouds at 3,900 feet and overcast at 4,500 feet.
The Corvallis Municipal Airport AWOS-3 recorded at 1635, winds from 020 degrees at 5 knots; 10 statute miles visibility; few clouds at 3,700 feet, scattered clouds at 4,300 feet, and overcast at 5,000 feet.