# Accident 19991113047499A: Piper PA18, Malheurcity, OR, November 13, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 13, 1999, 11:20 local time
- Place: Malheurcity, OR
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 44.4129° N, 117.7249° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Malheur City, OR, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.4129&lon=-117.7249&mi=10
- Aircraft: N82553, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N82553-2001-06-14) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-18-150 (registry code 7101828, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18-150) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA18
- Reported engine: LYC O320A2B
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 35,000 total, 2,000 in this make and model, 0 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA00LA018](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA00LA018) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19991113047499A

## Narrative

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

(.4) FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE AIRCRAFT'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM HAD BEEN OPERATING IMPROPERLY AND FAILING TO CHARGE THE BATTERY. ALTHOUGH TWO MAINTENANCE SHOPS HAD ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, AS OF THE DATE OF THE ACCIDENT, THE SYSTEM WAS STILL NOT FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY. DURING THIS TWO-MONTH PERIOD, THE PILOT HAD CONTINUED TO OPERATE THE AIRCRAFT, TURNING ON THE MASTER SWITCH ONLY DURING ENGINE START AND FOR BRIEF PERIODS OF RADIO TRANSMISSION. ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, HE TURNED ON THE MASTER SWITCH TO START THE ENGINE, AND THEN NOT REALIZING THAT HE HAD NOT TURNED IT OFF, HEADED FOR HIS DESTINATION. ABOUT 10 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT SMELLED WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS EITHER SMOKE OR FUMES FROM A MALFUNCTIONING HEATER, AND ELECTED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND IN AN OPEN AREA NEAR A COUNTY ROAD, THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A POWER LINE THAT THE PILOT WAS TRYING TO GO UNDER IN ORDER TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE HE WANTED TO TOUCH DOWN. AFTER HITTING THE POWER LINE, AND WITH THE FUMES GETTING STRONGER, THE PILOT TRIED TO GET THE AIRCRAFT ON THE GROUND AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. AS A RESULT, THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN AT AN EXCESSIVE DESCENT RATE, AND BOTH MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED. IMMEDIATELY AFTER EXITING THE AIRCRAFT, THE PILOT NOTICED A SMALL FIRE IN THE RIGHT WING ROOT. HE ELECTED NOT TO APPROACH THE AIRCRAFT TO ATTEMPT TO PUT OUT THE FIRE, AND IT WAS EVENTUALLY CONSUMED BY THE FLAMES. (-23) THE PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT, HEARD A LOUD POP WHICH WAS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY A FIRE IN THE AIRCRAFT. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A NEARBY FIELD, THE AIRCRAFT CLIPPED A POWER LINE, RESULTING IN A HARD LANDING AND COLLAPSING THE MAIN LANDING GEAR. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONSUMED BY FIRE AFTER THE PILOT EXITED. THE PILOT REPORTED HAVING ALTERNATOR PROBLEMS FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS, WHICH HAD NOT YET BEEN RESOLVED.

## 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 SEA00LA018](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA00LA018), Nov 13, 1999: Piper PA18 (N82553), Malheur City, OR, destroyed. Probable cause: The pilot's excessive descent rate during an attempted precautionary landing. Factors include the pilot's intentional operation of his aircraft with a known electrical system deficiency, a…

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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