# Accident 19991226042569A: Piper PA24250, Jordan Valley, OR, December 26, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 26, 1999, 17:00 local time
- Place: Jordan Valley, OR
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.9609° N, 117.3603° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.9609&lon=-117.3603&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5933P, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5933P-2001-04-10) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-24-250 (registry code 7102404, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-250) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA24250
- Reported engine: LYC O540A1A5
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 2,010 total, 715 in this make and model, 101 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA00LA035](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA00LA035) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19991226042569A

## Narrative

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

(.4)THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE EN ROUTE TO HIS DESTINATION, HE NOTED THAT HE FORGOT HIS APPROACH CHARTS. THE DESTINATION AIRPORT WAS UNDER INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS.  THEREFORE, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO FIND A NEARBY AIRPORT THAT WOULD ALLOW HIM TO LAND UNDER VISUAL CONDITIONS.  WHILE ATTEMPTING TO FIND A VFR AIRPORT, BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT MAIN FUEL TANKS RAN OUT OF FUEL.  THE PILOT ESTIMATED THAT HE HAD APPROXIMATELY FIVE GALLONS OF FUEL IN EACH TIP TANK, AND ELECTED TO INITIATE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING ON A HIGHWAY.  DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A ROAD MARKER SIGN.                                                      (-23)PILOT MADE A LANDING ON HIGHWAY 95, ABOUT 13 MILES SOUTH OF JORDAN VALLEY, OREGON.  HE HAD DEPARTED POCATELLO, IDAHO AT A TIME WHEN HE KNEW EVERY AIRPORT IN THE AREA AROUND NAMPA, IDAHO WAS BLANKETED IN DENSE FOG.  HE HOPED HE COULD FIND A LANDING SITE NEAR HIS HOME IN NAMPA. HE OPERATED AROUND THE AREA ABOVE THE FOG CHECKING FOR POSSIBILITIES UNTIL HE NO LONGER HAD ANY OPTIONS BECAUSE OF LOW FUEL.  HIS LAST RESORT WAS THE HIGHWAY AND EVEN THOUGH THE HIGHWAY WAS UNDER FOG, HE COULD JUST MAKE IT OUT ENOUGH TO ATTEMP T A LANDING. AS HE WAS TOUCHING DOWN, HIS RIGHT WING HIT A HIGHWAY MARKER AND THEN HIS LEFT WIND HIT ANOTHER MARKER, AND FINALLY THE TIP OF THE WING STRUCK THE EMBANKMENT ALONG THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.  THE RIGHT WING WAS TORN OPEN NEAR THE TIP AND BENT AT THE WING ROOT.  THE LEFT WING HAD DAMAGE TO THE LEADING EDGE AND AN OUTBOARD RIB WAS CRUSHED.

## 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 SEA00LA035](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA00LA035), Dec 27, 1999: Piper PA-24-250 (N5933P), Jordan Valley, OR, substantial damage. Probable cause: Inadequate preflight planning/preparation. Unsuitable terrain was selected for landing and a road sign were factors.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.