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20030913023739A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna 182 · Challis, ID · September 13, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 13, 2003 · 12:40 local
Place
Challis, ID
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N5547B
NTSB investigation
NTSBSEA03LA190
Reported as
Cessna 182
Reported engine
Continental O470*
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Pilot’s flight hours
12,000 total350 in this make and model80 in the last 90 days
N5547BRegistration cancelled Jun 30, 2004 · Cessna 182S/N 33547 · Built 1956Airframe modelCessna 182Engine modelContinental O-470 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 and passenger were on a fishing trip in the wilderness area of central Idaho. They were accompanied by friends who were flying in another aircraft. Both aircraft had stopped at one back country airport and were proceeding to upper loon creek in two different aircraft to continue the fishing trip. The pilot of the accident aircraft led the flight because he said he had upper loon creek set in his navigation system. Enroute, the pilot of the accident aircraft announced that he was descending into the drainage for a landing at upper loon creek airport. The pilot of the following aircraft tried several times to convince the accident aircraft pilot that he was descending into the wrong drainage. He called in desperation for his friend to climb out of the canyon but to no avail. The pilot of the accident aircraft continued to what he thought was the airport until it was too late. The aircraft was observed to fly into the side of the steep canyon wall and explode on impact. The two pilots in the two different aircraft were in communication for the entire flight and there was no discussion of any problems with the aircraft. The scene of the accident was not accessible. Pilot data is only best estimate.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE ON A FISHING TRIP IN THE WILDERNESS AREA OF CENTRAL IDAHO. THEY WERE ACCOMPANIED BY FRIENDS WHO WERE FLYING IN ANOTHER AIRCRAFT. BOTH AIRCRAFT HAD STOPPED AT ONE BACK COUNTRY AIRPORT AND WERE PROCEEDING TO UPPER LOON CREEK IN TWO DIFFERENT AIRCRAFT TO CONTINUE THE FISHING TRIP. THE PILOT OF THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT LED THE FLIGHT BECAUSE HE SAID HE HAD UPPER LOON CREEK SET IN HIS NAVIGATION SYSTEM. ENROUTE, THE PILOT OF THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT ANNOUNCED THAT HE WAS DESCENDING INTO THE DRAINAGE FOR A LANDING AT UPPER LOON CREEK AIRPORT. THE PILOT OF THE FOLLOWING AIRCRAFT TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO CONVINCE THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT PILOT THAT HE WAS DESCENDING INTO THE WRONG DRAINAGE. HE CALLED IN DESPERATION FOR HIS FRIEND TO CLIMB OUT OF THE CANYON BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE PILOT OF THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS THE AIRPORT UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO FLY INTO THE SIDE OF THE STEEP CANYON WALL AND EXPLODE ON IMPACT. THE TWO PILOTS IN THE TWO DIFFERENT AIRCRAFT WERE IN COMMUNICATION FOR THE ENTIRE FLIGHT AND THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION OF ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRCRAFT. THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS NOT ACCESSIBLE. PILOT DATA IS ONLY BEST ESTIMATE.

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 SEA03LA190Accident · 2 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportChallis, IDThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance from trees while maneuvering. Factors include mountainous terrain and trees.Sep 13, 2003 · Destroyed

Other reports on N5547B · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19830520020509AIdling Engines · Riverside, CAHand started engine with a novice at controls. Aircraft rolled into hangar wall.May 20, 1983 · Substantial damage