- Date
- October 11, 1988, 18:35 local (Oct 12, 1988, 00:35 UTC)
- Place
- Sun Valley, ID
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8975JPiper PA-28-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 7, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881012046169A
- Case key
- 40906
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 pilot flew into a box canyon at a low altitude above the ground near 9000 ft MSL. While attempting to climb over a ridgeline, the aircraft stalled, entered a spin, and descended nose down until impact with the ground.
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
- N8975J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-2998
- Airframe hours
- 2,456
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-B1E, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Sun Valley Aviation, Inc
- Registered owner
- Sun Valley Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 1, 1988 · 62 hours before
- Departed
- SUN · Hailey, ID
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
- 19
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 132 total · 10 in this make and model · 42 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SUN, 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.