- Date
- February 8, 1989, 13:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Cottonwood, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5620XAero Commander S2R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890208046879A
- Case key
- 40980
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot misjudging his altitude due to the white out conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilots lack of experience in this aircraft and this type of operation.
Analysis
The pilot was making practice aerial applications in preparation for his CFR 137 certification. The main gear contacted the snow covered terrain during a low level maneuver. The aircraft then cartwheeled. The pilot reported only two hours of flight experience in this type of aircraft.
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
- N5620X
- Reported as
- Aero Commander S2R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1820R
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-AN1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jerome W. Fox
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- Grangeville, 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
- 34
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total · 2 in this make and model · 1,500 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
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 N5620X · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.