- Date
- October 25, 1986, 19:30 local (Oct 26, 1986, 02:30 UTC)
- Place
- Port Townsend, WA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2565PPiper PA-38
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19861025051529A
- Case key
- 40508
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Analysis
The plt had flown this acft over the same route many times. While en route, the acft collided with tall trees on rising terrain about 3 miles south of a direct course to the destination. The wx in the vicinity was characterized by low clouds, fog & haze. Aprx 23 miles west, the Port angeles wx at 1920 PDT was, in part: 1100 thin broken, sky condition obscured above 1100 ft, visibility 3 mi with fog and haze, wind calm. The elevation of the crash site was about 1300 ft;the elevation at Port angeles was 288 ft. this particular foothill was known to be the site of several prior mishaps.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2565P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-38
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 79A1040
- Airframe hours
- 562
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 112 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Wayne W. Bertsch
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 24, 1986 · 39 hours before
- Departed
- PAE · Everett, WA
- Destination
- CLM · Port Angeles, WA
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
- 50
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 661 total · 630 in this make and model · 608 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Temperature
- 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CLM, 23 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 N2565P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.