What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)On June 12, 1999, approximately 1635 PDT, N9458H, a Cessna 182 airplane registered to civil air patrol (cap), inc. departed the baker city, OR )bke) on a scheduled 1.5 hour search-and-rescue training mission (mission number CAPF3619). The aircraft was flown by charles j. thomas, a commerical pilot. Emil veerm, a commerical pilot and flight instructor, was on-board acting as a "mountain flying mentor". The assigned route of flight was to be a contour search pattern which included a series of canyons along the east bank of minam river, approximately 60 miles norht of bke. The aircraft failed to return to bke at the scheduled time. A search for the aircraft was inititated and the wreckage of N9458H was located on June 14, 1999. The crash site is located in the chaparral creek canyon on the eagle cap wilderness area of the wallowa-whitman national forest, approximately 12 miles southwest of Enterprise, OR. A helicopter survey of the accident site was made on June 16, 1999. The accident site was located on heavily wooded terrain, at approximately the 5,500 msl-foot level. Several trees with freshly broken tops were observed 70 to 100 feet south of the crash site. The wrec kage was observed at the base of a tree that had been damaged by fire. The only indentifiable part of the aircraft that was observed from the air was the empennage. It appeared that fire had destroyed the aircraft on impact.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)ON JUNE 12, 1999, APPROXIMATELY 1635 PDT, N9458H, A CESSNA 182 AIRPLANE REGISTERED TO CIVIL AIR PATROL (CAP), INC. DEPARTED THE BAKER CITY, OR )BKE) ON A SCHEDULED 1.5 HOUR SEARCH-AND-RESCUE TRAINING MISSION (MISSION NUMBER CAPF3619). THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN BY CHARLES J. THOMAS, A COMMERICAL PILOT. EMIL VEERM, A COMMERICAL PILOT AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, WAS ON-BOARD ACTING AS A "MOUNTAIN FLYING MENTOR". THE ASSIGNED ROUTE OF FLIGHT WAS TO BE A CONTOUR SEARCH PATTERN WHICH INCLUDED A SERIES OF CANYONS ALONG THE EAST BANK OF MINAM RIVER, APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES NORHT OF BKE. THE AIRCRAFT FAILED TO RETURN TO BKE AT THE SCHEDULED TIME. A SEARCH FOR THE AIRCRAFT WAS INITITATED AND THE WRECKAGE OF N9458H WAS LOCATED ON JUNE 14, 1999. THE CRASH SITE IS LOCATED IN THE CHAPARRAL CREEK CANYON ON THE EAGLE CAP WILDERNESS AREA OF THE WALLOWA-WHITMAN NATIONAL FOREST, APPROXIMATELY 12 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ENTERPRISE, OR. A HELICOPTER SURVEY OF THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS MADE ON JUNE 16, 1999. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS LOCATED ON HEAVILY WOODED TERRAIN, AT APPROXIMATELY THE 5,500 MSL-FOOT LEVEL. SEVERAL TREES WITH FRESHLY BROKEN TOPS WERE OBSERVED 70 TO 100 FEET SOUTH OF THE CRASH SITE. THE WREC KAGE WAS OBSERVED AT THE BASE OF A TREE THAT HAD BEEN DAMAGED BY FIRE. THE ONLY INDENTIFIABLE PART OF THE AIRCRAFT THAT WAS OBSERVED FROM THE AIR WAS THE EMPENNAGE. IT APPEARED THAT FIRE HAD DESTROYED THE AIRCRAFT ON IMPACT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.