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20021204033089A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Luscom 8A · Latah, WA · December 4, 2002

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Date
December 4, 2002 · 11:00 local
Place
Latah, WA
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
CFIIF
Reported as
Luscom 8A
Fatal injuries
0

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Canadian pilot john kite was flying VFR from walla walla, WA to missoula, mt using checkpoints along his route. He missed a checkpoint and decided to land at the nearest airport. While he was using his hand held GPS he flew through some ice fog which covered his windscreen completely so he had no foreward visibility. He located tekoa, WA willard field (73S) on the GPS and said it read 5 miles at 090. Mr. Kite did not realize he was to the west of tekoe mountains, headed east towards the airport, clipped a 60 foot pine tree, and flat spun into 10-20 foot tall scrub pine trees. He removed himself from the aircraft, secured his emergency gear, and sat over 5 hours with his dog waiting for rescue. He hit the panel due to not wearing his shoulder harness and broke his skull around his nose and eyes but was able to keep himself alert enough to prepare for shock and the cold. He even took out the aircraft battery and set up a light with it. Accident referred to canadian authorities for action.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) CANADIAN PILOT JOHN KITE WAS FLYING VFR FROM WALLA WALLA, WA TO MISSOULA, MT USING CHECKPOINTS ALONG HIS ROUTE. HE MISSED A CHECKPOINT AND DECIDED TO LAND AT THE NEAREST AIRPORT. WHILE HE WAS USING HIS HAND HELD GPS HE FLEW THROUGH SOME ICE FOG WHICH COVERED HIS WINDSCREEN COMPLETELY SO HE HAD NO FOREWARD VISIBILITY. HE LOCATED TEKOA, WA WILLARD FIELD (73S) ON THE GPS AND SAID IT READ 5 MILES AT 090. MR. KITE DID NOT REALIZE HE WAS TO THE WEST OF TEKOE MOUNTAINS, HEADED EAST TOWARDS THE AIRPORT, CLIPPED A 60 FOOT PINE TREE, AND FLAT SPUN INTO 10-20 FOOT TALL SCRUB PINE TREES. HE REMOVED HIMSELF FROM THE AIRCRAFT, SECURED HIS EMERGENCY GEAR, AND SAT OVER 5 HOURS WITH HIS DOG WAITING FOR RESCUE. HE HIT THE PANEL DUE TO NOT WEARING HIS SHOULDER HARNESS AND BROKE HIS SKULL AROUND HIS NOSE AND EYES BUT WAS ABLE TO KEEP HIMSELF ALERT ENOUGH TO PREPARE FOR SHOCK AND THE COLD. HE EVEN TOOK OUT THE AIRCRAFT BATTERY AND SET UP A LIGHT WITH IT. ACCIDENT REFERRED TO CANADIAN AUTHORITIES FOR ACTION.