# Accident 19980625020719A: Cessna 305A, Morganton, NC, June 25, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 25, 1998, 12:37 local time
- Place: Morganton, NC
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.6391° N, 78.4492° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.6391&lon=-78.4492&mi=10
- Aircraft: N16574, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N16574-1998-09-08) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna Ector 305A (registry code 2073902, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-ector-305a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 305A
- Reported engine: CONT O47011B
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 7,683 total, 276 in this make and model, 100 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL98GA086](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL98GA086) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980625020719A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

SEVERE DWONDRAFT DURING WATER DROP ON FOREST FIRE. UNABLE PULLOUT WITHOUT STALLING. LANDED IN TREE TOPS. (.4)ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS FLYING ABOVE A FIRE AS A SPOTTER FOR THE U. S. FOREST SERVICE (USFS), ALTHOUGH HE WAS EMPLOYED BY THE NORTH CAROLINA FOREST SERVICE (NCFS). THE FIRE WAS ON A MOUNTAIN WHICH LIES IN A NORTH-SOUTH DIRECTION. THE WINDS WERE WESTERLY. HE BEGAN BY FLYING APPROXIMATELY 600-800 FEET ABOVE THE RIDGE.  AFTER COMPLETING SEVERAL CIRCUITS, THE PILOT STATED THE AIR BECAME TURBULENT, SO HE CLIMBED 1000 FEET.  AFTER COMPLETING SEVERAL CIRCUITS AT THE NEW ALTITUDE, THE PILOT DECIDED TO REVERSE DIRECTIONS AND FLY A CLOCKWISE PATTERN.  HE FLEW AWAY FROM THE MOUNTAIN ON THE LEEWARD SIDE AND MADE A 180 DEGREE TURN.  AS HE COMPLETED THE TURN, THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO LOSE ALTITUDE RAPIDLY. THE PILOT STATED HE ADDED FULL POWER AND LEVELED THE WINGS, BUT HE WAS STILL DESCENDING IN EXCESS OF 500 FEET PER MINUTE, WITH HIS AIRSPEED DECREASING THROUGH 80 MILES PER HOUR (MPH).  HE THEN STARTED A RIGHT TURN TO CLEAR THE RIDGE, BUT HE WAS ALREADY BELOW THE RIDGE LINE.  THE PILOT STATED THE CONTROLS BECAME MUSHY AND UNRESPONSIVE.  HE                                              STATED HE THEN ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A 'CONTROLLED CRASH'. THE PILOT REPORTED NO PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRPLANE OR ENGINE.  THE PILOT REPORT HAVING APPROXIMATELY 4 1/2 YEARS MOUNTAIN FLYING EXPERIENCE WHILE IN ALASKA, BUT NO FORMAL TRAINING IN MOUNTAIN FLYING.  THE AIRPLANE STALLS AT 47 MPH WHEN IN LEVEL FLIGHT WITH NO FLAPS.  NCFS PILOTS REPORTED THAT THEY HAVE NO REGULATIONS, HANDBOOK, OR GUIDELINES FOR USE WHEN FLYING.                               (-23)THE PILOT OF ECTOR-CESSNA 305A (L-19), N16574, STATED; THAT WHILE FLYING IN SUPPORT OF A FOREST FIRE SUPPRESSION OPERATION, HE ENCOUNTERED A SEVERE DOWN DRAFT AND WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER.  ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, ATTEMPTS TO RECOVER FORM THE DOWN DRAFT PLACED THE AICRAFT IN A STALL AT WHICH TIME THE PILOT ELECTED TO CONTROL CRASH INTO THE TREES.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ATL98GA086](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL98GA086), Jun 25, 1998: Ector 305A (L-19) (N16574), Morganton, NC, substantial damage. Probable cause: The inflight encounter with a downdraft which led to a stall/mush and an inflight collision with the ground. Factors were the inadequate training in mountain flying and inadequate guidelines provided…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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