SEA85FA233

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 172N · Remote, OR · May 23, 1985

Accident · FatalField investigationFinal report
Date
May 23, 1985, 14:30 local (21:30 UTC)
Place
Remote, OR
Injuries
2 fatal
Damage
Destroyed
Phase of flight
Enroute
Aircraft
N4871GCessna 172N
Weather
Day
Status
Completed · report March 25, 1991
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19850523077909A
Case key
40066

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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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.

In flight encounter with weatherCruise
Terrain condition - high terrainFactor
Weather condition - low ceilingFactor
Weather condition - rainFactor
Flight into known adverse weather - performedPilot in commandCause
In flight collision with objectUnknown
Terrain condition - mountainous/hillyFactor
Object - tree(s)
Altitude - not maintainedPilot in commandCause

Analysis

During a wx briefing, the non-instrument plt was adzd that VFR flt was not recommended due to low clouds & adverse wx along the route. However, he filed a VFR flt plan & depd arcata, CA at 1240 PDT. At 1339, in the vcnty of wilderville, OR, the plt got a wx update. He was adzd of isolated tstms & broken to scattered clouds to 4000' with an upper layer at or abv 8000' & scattered rain showers along the coast with 1000' to 2000' scattered clouds. Mountain tops were fore- cast to be obscured. The plt's last transmission was at 1356 PDT near sexton mtn pass, when he asked for the medford altimeter setting. The acft did not arrive at the destn & was not fnd during a search. It was fnd by hikers on 4/27/90, where it had collided with trees on steep mtn terrain at an elev of aprx 1800'. The acft was badly dmgd by impact & fire. No preimpact mech problem was evident. During impact, the prop sepd from the crankshaft & both blades had 's turn' deformation, leading edge damage & cordwise striations.

Aircraft

Registration
N4871G
Reported as
Cessna 172N
Category
Airplane
Serial number
17273418
Airframe hours
2,006
Engine
Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Destroyed
Fire
On-Ground
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Calkins, Thomas C.
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
100 hour · March 7, 1985 · 50 hours before
Departed
ACV · Arcata, CA
Destination
OTH · North Bend, OR
Flight plan
VFR

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
26
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat
Left
Flight hours
51 total · 9 in this make and model · 40 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days

Weather

Conditions
Day
Observed at
OTH, 63 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.