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20160704013839A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna 172F · Brookings, OR · July 4, 2016

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 4, 2016 · 23:00 local
Place
Brookings, OR
Airport
Brookings Airport
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N7870U
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR16LA138
Reported as
Cessna 172F
Reported engine
Continental 0-300 series
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
3
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
N7870URegistration cancelled Feb 25, 2019 · Cessna 172FS/N 17251870 · Built 1964Airframe modelCessna 172FEngine 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.

N7870U took off from Brookings, OR (bok) at 1055, 07/04/16, to grants pass, OR (3S8). The airplane was reported as missing in the early morning hours of 07/05/16 by the wife of the pilot. Debris that appeared to be from the interior of an airplane washed up on lone ranch beach north of the Brookings Airport, approximately 3.5 miles away. A backpack was found with a wallet and id belonging to one of the passengers reported to be in N7870U. On 07/06/16, the NLG with attached nose wheel from a 172 series Cessna aircraft was found washed up on a beach just south of lone ranch beach. The nose gear fork appears to have departed the shock strut tube assembly with the upper torque link be broken off from the attaching end to the shock strut tube. The upper torque link was still attached to the lower torque link and the nose gear fork. There did not appear to be any other damage to the assembly.

Based on the Oregon state police medical examiner (m.e.) verbal report, the bodies of the pilot and his son were found washed on shore at lone ranch beach in the same area as the above described debris. The pilot suffered blunt force trauma to the chest and abdominal areas and a broken ankle. The first passenger, max belnap, received major head trauma. The m.e. believes death occurred on impact with the ocean for both individuals with other deterioration as a result of marine activity.

The aircraft was located approximately 1/2 to 1 mile off shore from lone ranch beach submerged 50 to 60 feet on a rocky outcrop with the engine separated from the fuselage.

The second passenger has not been recovered at this time, 07/26/2016.

The m.e. official transcribed report and cami reports are to follow upon completion.

As the FAA filed it

N7870U TOOK OFF FROM BROOKINGS, OR (BOK) AT 1055, 07/04/16, TO GRANTS PASS, OR (3S8). THE AIRPLANE WAS REPORTED AS MISSING IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF 07/05/16 BY THE WIFE OF THE PILOT. DEBRIS THAT APPEARED TO BE FROM THE INTERIOR OF AN AIRPLANE WASHED UP ON LONE RANCH BEACH NORTH OF THE BROOKINGS AIRPORT, APPROXIMATELY 3.5 MILES AWAY. A BACKPACK WAS FOUND WITH A WALLET AND ID BELONGING TO ONE OF THE PASSENGERS REPORTED TO BE IN N7870U. ON 07/06/16, THE NLG WITH ATTACHED NOSE WHEEL FROM A 172 SERIES CESSNA AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND WASHED UP ON A BEACH JUST SOUTH OF LONE RANCH BEACH. THE NOSE GEAR FORK APPEARS TO HAVE DEPARTED THE SHOCK STRUT TUBE ASSEMBLY WITH THE UPPER TORQUE LINK BE BROKEN OFF FROM THE ATTACHING END TO THE SHOCK STRUT TUBE. THE UPPER TORQUE LINK WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE LOWER TORQUE LINK AND THE NOSE GEAR FORK. THERE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE ANY OTHER DAMAGE TO THE ASSEMBLY.

BASED ON THE OREGON STATE POLICE MEDICAL EXAMINER (M.E.) VERBAL REPORT, THE BODIES OF THE PILOT AND HIS SON WERE FOUND WASHED ON SHORE AT LONE RANCH BEACH IN THE SAME AREA AS THE ABOVE DESCRIBED DEBRIS. THE PILOT SUFFERED BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA TO THE CHEST AND ABDOMINAL AREAS AND A BROKEN ANKLE. THE FIRST PASSENGER, MAX BELNAP, RECEIVED MAJOR HEAD TRAUMA. THE M.E. BELIEVES DEATH OCCURRED ON IMPACT WITH THE OCEAN FOR BOTH INDIVIDUALS WITH OTHER DETERIORATION AS A RESULT OF MARINE ACTIVITY.

THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 1/2 TO 1 MILE OFF SHORE FROM LONE RANCH BEACH SUBMERGED 50 TO 60 FEET ON A ROCKY OUTCROP WITH THE ENGINE SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE.

THE SECOND PASSENGER HAS NOT BEEN RECOVERED AT THIS TIME, 07/26/2016.

THE M.E. OFFICIAL TRANSCRIBED REPORT AND CAMI REPORTS ARE TO FOLLOW UPON COMPLETION.

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 WPR16LA138Accident · 3 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportBrookings, ORThe pilot's spatial disorientation and loss of situational awareness during the departure turn in dark night conditions, which resulted in an in-flight collision with water.Jul 5, 2016 · Destroyed

Other reports on N7870U · 1

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

Accident 19730901028029ATo Aborted (Fixed Wing) · Jasper, GAAcft collided with bushes off end of rnwy.Sep 1, 1973 · Substantial damage