20030530011009A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Cessna 172 · Republic, WA · May 30, 2003

Date: May 30, 2003 · 09:58 local
Place: Republic, WA
Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N7301A
NTSB investigation: NTSBSEA03FA089
Reported as: Cessna 172
Reported engine: Continental O300D
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2

N7301ARegistration cancelled Sep 22, 2003 · Cessna 172S/N 29401 · Built 1956 Airframe modelCessna 172 Engine modelContinental 0-300 seriesReciprocating

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) Pilot rudy ohlund and ferry county, WA undersheriff matthew lane were conducting an air search and rescue operation under part 91 for a missing person in conjunction with ground searchers when the aircraft stalled and spun into the ground along a three wire high voltage transmission line. The aircraft was destroyed and both the pilot and passenger were fatally injured. A witness who saw the aircraft enter a stall and nose over to the left was at the accident site within a minute and a half. He said both pilot and passenger, fuel was leaking out of the tanks, and he could hear some other aircraft talking on the radio frequency. He backed off because of the fire hazard.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT RUDY OHLUND AND FERRY COUNTY, WA UNDERSHERIFF MATTHEW LANE WERE CONDUCTING AN AIR SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATION UNDER PART 91 FOR A MISSING PERSON IN CONJUNCTION WITH GROUND SEARCHERS WHEN THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AND SPUN INTO THE GROUND ALONG A THREE WIRE HIGH VOLTAGE TRANSMISSION LINE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND BOTH THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. A WITNESS WHO SAW THE AIRCRAFT ENTER A STALL AND NOSE OVER TO THE LEFT WAS AT THE ACCIDENT SITE WITHIN A MINUTE AND A HALF. HE SAID BOTH PILOT AND PASSENGER, FUEL WAS LEAKING OUT OF THE TANKS, AND HE COULD HEAR SOME OTHER AIRCRAFT TALKING ON THE RADIO FREQUENCY. HE BACKED OFF BECAUSE OF THE FIRE HAZARD.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB SEA03FA089Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportRepublic, WAThe pilot's failure to maintain airspeed resulting in a stall and subsequent loss of control during low altitude maneuvering.May 30, 2003 · Substantial damage