- Date
- February 28, 2018, 08:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Milton-Freewater, OR
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N323MQPiper PA28R
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 14, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180228012059A
- Case key
- 96807
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot receiving instruction’s and flight instructor’s improper decision to enter a canyon surrounded by steep rising terrain and their subsequent failure to maintain clearance from terrain while maneuvering at a low altitude.
Findings · 5
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The flight instructor reported that, after conducting flight maneuvers during an instructional flight, he and the pilot receiving instruction proceeded to sightsee around mountainous terrain at 800 to 1,000 ft above ground level. He added that, after the pilot receiving instruction maneuvered around rising terrain, the airplane was moving toward "fairly significant" terrain. The flight instructor reported that "it was assumed" that the airplane had the necessary performance to climb over the rising terrain ahead, but he soon realized that the airplane was in a "box canyon" and would not be able to climb above the rising terrain. The flight instructor took the flight controls, "pitched the aircraft up to stall speed," and the airplane impacted trees. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that after conducting flight maneuvers during an instructional flight, he and the student proceeded to sightsee around mountainous terrain at 800 to 1000 ft above ground level. He added that, after the pilot receiving instruction maneuvered around rising terrain, the airplane was moving toward "fairly significant" terrain. The flight instructor reported that "it was assumed" that the airplane had the necessary performance to out climb the rising terrain ahead, but he soon realized that the airplane was in a "box canyon" and would not be able to climb above the rising terrain. The flight instructor took the flight controls, "pitched the aircraft up to stall speed", and the airplane impacted trees. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N323MQ
- Reported as
- Piper PA28R (200)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-7435038
- Built
- 1974
- Airframe hours
- 9,760.61
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1C, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Walla Walla University
- Registered owner
- Walla Walla University
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 26, 2018
- Departed
- ALW · Walla Walla, WA
- Destination
- ALW · Walla Walla, WA
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Stall warning system
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 20, 2017
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 726 total · 174 in this make and model · 645 as pilot in command · 84 in the last 90 days · 54 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 7, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 380 total · 103 in this make and model · 297 as pilot in command · 42 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KALW, 12 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 19, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 557 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.