# Accident 20021204033089A: Luscom 8A, Latah, WA, December 4, 2002

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 4, 2002, 11:00 local time
- Place: Latah, WA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 47.2821° N, 117.1558° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Latah, WA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.2821&lon=-117.1558&mi=10
- Aircraft: CFIIF (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: LUSCOM 8A
- Fatal injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20021204033089A

## Narrative

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

(-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.

## NTSB investigation

None matched to this report by aircraft and date. Search the NTSB's own records: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search

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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