- Date
- October 20, 2005, 20:00 local (Oct 21, 2005, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gleneden Beach, OR
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6000ACessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report March 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20051020024739A
- Case key
- 62729
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's failure to maintain clearance from objects while maneuvering over the airport environment. Dark night conditions, trees, and ground fog were factors.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he was in-flight maneuvering over the airstrip to determine runway conditions. There was ground fog present and the lighting conditions were "very dark." The pilot circled the airstrip three or four times and he had the rotating beacon and runway lights in sight, however, he lost sight of the runway lights and when he passed by the rotating beacon he pulled up and heard something hit the right wing. The pilot believed that he was near the southwest end of the airport environment when this happened. The pilot stated that he was unsure if he hit a tree or a bird, but decided not to land and diverted to another airport 42 nautical miles to the northeast, where a landing was made without further incident. Inspection of the aircraft revealed that the right wing tip, to include the outboard rib and about half of the right side aileron had been torn away.
Factual narrative
On October 20, about 2000 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172, N6000A, registered to and operated by the pilot as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, collided with a tree while maneuvering near the Siletz Bay State Airport, Gleneden Beach, Oregon. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft was substantially damaged and the private pilot and passenger were not injured. The flight departed from Hillsboro, Oregon, about 30 minutes prior to the accident with the intended destination of Siletz Bay State.
During a telephone interview, the pilot reported that he was maneuvering around the airstrip to determine runway conditions. There was ground fog present and the lighting conditions were "very dark." The pilot circled the airstrip three or four times and he had the rotating beacon and runway lights in sight, however, he lost sight of the runway lights and when he passed by the rotating beacon he pulled up and heard something hit the right wing. The pilot believed that he was near the southwest end of the airport environment when this happened. The pilot stated that he was unsure if he hit a tree or a bird, but decided not to land and diverted to McMinnville, Oregon, a distance of 42 nautical miles to the northeast, where a landing was made without further incident.
Inspection of the aircraft revealed that the right wing tip, to include the outboard rib and about half of the right side aileron had been torn away.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6000A
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28600
- Airframe hours
- 5,135
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John M. Richards
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 1, 2004
- Departed
- HIO · Hillsboro, OR
- Destination
- S45 · Gleneden Beach, OR
- Airport
- S45 · Siletz Bay State
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Last flight review
- October 1, 2004
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 789 total · 600 in this make and model · 18 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 100 ft broken
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- ONP, 18 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N6000A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.