- Date
- December 27, 1988, 14:35 local (22:35 UTC)
- Place
- Cottage Grove, OR
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8403ZCessna 205
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 8, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881227056819A
- Case key
- 40966
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 student pilot took off on a solo flight from an uncontrolled airport at Cottage Grove in marginal weather conditions. Shortly after takeoff, he transmitted to eugene tower (which was approximately 15 miles north) that he had encountered 'white-out' conditions. Subsequently, approach control identified the aircraft's position on radar and attempted to vector the aircraft to eugene airport. However, the student was unable to hold a heading or altitude. Subsequently, the aircraft entered a steep descent and crashed. The 1450 PST weather at eugene was: 2000 ft scattered, 4000 ft overcast with 10 miles visibility. A pilot witness estimated the weather at Cottage Grove was: 800 ft broken ceiling, visibility one mile with rain and fog.
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
- N8403Z
- Reported as
- Cessna 205
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 205-0403
- Airframe hours
- 3,860
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Raymund R. Wilbur III
- Registered owner
- Raymund R Wilbur
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 17, 1988 · 69 hours before
- Destination
- EUG · Eugene, OR
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 128 total · 95 in this make and model · 30 as pilot in command · 66 in the last 90 days · 39 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 800 ft broken
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 N8403Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.