What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 25th, 2016 a Cessna 185 registration number N4585F impacted terrain northeast of Horse Heaven Airstrip an approximately 12:00 p.m. local time. The pilot received fatal injuries in the accident. The flight had left ksff at 11:22 local time.
The crash site is located 35 yards FR0M a forest service road in woody and steep terrain. The aircraft came to rest inverted with the nose resting against a large evergreen tree. Substantial deformation of the nose, due to impact, was observed. The right wing was separated from the wreckage and wedged between the fuselage and tree. The left wing and left horizontal stabilizer were also separated from the wreckage and found up hill in the opposite direction of impact. The left main gear also separated from that aircraft and was found downhill from the crash. Various other small pieces were found along the direction of impact. Initial impact occurred with the tops three trees about 200-300 feet uphill from the site. A forth tree about 100 uphill showed signs of impact. A 25 foot impact scar lead up to the wreckage site. This scar and the tree impacts indicate the aircraft was traveling on a heading of approximately 235 degrees. They also indicate a low angle high velocity impact. The left wing and the left horizontal stabilizer showed signs of impact with a tree.
The pilot is a 70 year old male holding a private pilot certificate with an airplane single engine land rating. He held a third class medical which was issued on March 29th, 2016. He reported high blood pressure controlled with medication, admission to the hospital for prostatectomy on 12/09/2014, and healthcare visit on 03/01/2016 for sinus infection. No other concerns were reported by airman and no significant issues found by other ames.
Horse Heaven Airstrip, an old forest service Airstrip, does not remain on their registry, nor is it in the federal aviation administration order 7350.9F location identifiers. The runway is gravel, 2500 feet long with an orientation 4/22. The accident site is on a bearing of 050 roughly one half mile from the Airstrip. The terrain in that direction is a narrowing valley with forested hills two either side. The location of the accident is in an area of marginally widening clearance. The area is frequented by off road vehicles and there were campers in the area at the time of the accident.
No weather was available for the airport. The nearest reporting weather was from kcoe which is 15 miles on a bearing of 256 degrees. The weather there: kcoe 251915Z auto 00000KT 10SM FEW044 SCT050 17/08 A3022 rmk AO1. The investigators on site at 19:00 local, 04:00Z, confirm the weather was the same with winds light and variable.
The aircraft had an annual inspection 4 months prior to the flight and the discrepancies found were fixed. It was determined by interviews and checking credit card transactions that the pilot did not fuel in ksff. It is unclear whether he stopped and fueled at any airport elsewhere. Fuel was found in the tanks on site and there appeared to be continuity through the fuel lines.
Witnesses on the Airstrip said they saw the aircraft make a high pass over the airport and then a low pass then never returned. Another witness further stated he saw the aircraft attempt to land and it was forced to go around due to atvs on the runway. He stated that the engine sounded normal and smooth as he would expect when power is added
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 25TH, 2016 A CESSNA 185 REGISTRATION NUMBER N4585F IMPACTED TERRAIN NORTHEAST OF HORSE HEAVEN AIRSTRIP AN APPROXIMATELY 12:00 P.M. LOCAL TIME. THE PILOT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES IN THE ACCIDENT. THE FLIGHT HAD LEFT KSFF AT 11:22 LOCAL TIME.
THE CRASH SITE IS LOCATED 35 YARDS FR0M A FOREST SERVICE ROAD IN WOODY AND STEEP TERRAIN. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST INVERTED WITH THE NOSE RESTING AGAINST A LARGE EVERGREEN TREE. SUBSTANTIAL DEFORMATION OF THE NOSE, DUE TO IMPACT, WAS OBSERVED. THE RIGHT WING WAS SEPARATED FROM THE WRECKAGE AND WEDGED BETWEEN THE FUSELAGE AND TREE. THE LEFT WING AND LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER WERE ALSO SEPARATED FROM THE WRECKAGE AND FOUND UP HILL IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF IMPACT. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR ALSO SEPARATED FROM THAT AIRCRAFT AND WAS FOUND DOWNHILL FROM THE CRASH. VARIOUS OTHER SMALL PIECES WERE FOUND ALONG THE DIRECTION OF IMPACT. INITIAL IMPACT OCCURRED WITH THE TOPS THREE TREES ABOUT 200-300 FEET UPHILL FROM THE SITE. A FORTH TREE ABOUT 100 UPHILL SHOWED SIGNS OF IMPACT. A 25 FOOT IMPACT SCAR LEAD UP TO THE WRECKAGE SITE. THIS SCAR AND THE TREE IMPACTS INDICATE THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRAVELING ON A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 235 DEGREES. THEY ALSO INDICATE A LOW ANGLE HIGH VELOCITY IMPACT. THE LEFT WING AND THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER SHOWED SIGNS OF IMPACT WITH A TREE.
THE PILOT IS A 70 YEAR OLD MALE HOLDING A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH AN AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND RATING. HE HELD A THIRD CLASS MEDICAL WHICH WAS ISSUED ON MARCH 29TH, 2016. HE REPORTED HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROLLED WITH MEDICATION, ADMISSION TO THE HOSPITAL FOR PROSTATECTOMY ON 12/09/2014, AND HEALTHCARE VISIT ON 03/01/2016 FOR SINUS INFECTION. NO OTHER CONCERNS WERE REPORTED BY AIRMAN AND NO SIGNIFICANT ISSUES FOUND BY OTHER AMES.
HORSE HEAVEN AIRSTRIP, AN OLD FOREST SERVICE AIRSTRIP, DOES NOT REMAIN ON THEIR REGISTRY, NOR IS IT IN THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION ORDER 7350.9F LOCATION IDENTIFIERS. THE RUNWAY IS GRAVEL, 2500 FEET LONG WITH AN ORIENTATION 4/22. THE ACCIDENT SITE IS ON A BEARING OF 050 ROUGHLY ONE HALF MILE FROM THE AIRSTRIP. THE TERRAIN IN THAT DIRECTION IS A NARROWING VALLEY WITH FORESTED HILLS TWO EITHER SIDE. THE LOCATION OF THE ACCIDENT IS IN AN AREA OF MARGINALLY WIDENING CLEARANCE. THE AREA IS FREQUENTED BY OFF ROAD VEHICLES AND THERE WERE CAMPERS IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
NO WEATHER WAS AVAILABLE FOR THE AIRPORT. THE NEAREST REPORTING WEATHER WAS FROM KCOE WHICH IS 15 MILES ON A BEARING OF 256 DEGREES. THE WEATHER THERE: KCOE 251915Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM FEW044 SCT050 17/08 A3022 RMK AO1. THE INVESTIGATORS ON SITE AT 19:00 LOCAL, 04:00Z, CONFIRM THE WEATHER WAS THE SAME WITH WINDS LIGHT AND VARIABLE.
THE AIRCRAFT HAD AN ANNUAL INSPECTION 4 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT AND THE DISCREPANCIES FOUND WERE FIXED. IT WAS DETERMINED BY INTERVIEWS AND CHECKING CREDIT CARD TRANSACTIONS THAT THE PILOT DID NOT FUEL IN KSFF. IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER HE STOPPED AND FUELED AT ANY AIRPORT ELSEWHERE. FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE TANKS ON SITE AND THERE APPEARED TO BE CONTINUITY THROUGH THE FUEL LINES.
WITNESSES ON THE AIRSTRIP SAID THEY SAW THE AIRCRAFT MAKE A HIGH PASS OVER THE AIRPORT AND THEN A LOW PASS THEN NEVER RETURNED. ANOTHER WITNESS FURTHER STATED HE SAW THE AIRCRAFT ATTEMPT TO LAND AND IT WAS FORCED TO GO AROUND DUE TO ATVS ON THE RUNWAY. HE STATED THAT THE ENGINE SOUNDED NORMAL AND SMOOTH AS HE WOULD EXPECT WHEN POWER IS ADDED
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N4585F · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.