- Date
- June 12, 1989, 16:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Chemult, OR
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1365ECessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 18, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890612020689A
- Case key
- 41032
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
Improper inflight planning/decision by the pilot, which resulted in a sudden altitude deviation, and his delay in initiating remedial action to maintain clearance from the trees. Contributing factors were the downdrafts, high density altitude, the pilot diverting attention, and the trees.
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.
Analysis
The plt & passenger were conducting an eagle survey flt. They made a pass over an eagle's nest, north of lemolo lake to count newly hatched eaglets, but were unsuccessful. The plt descended to about 400 ft AGL & was on the 2nd pass, when the acft encountered downdrafts. He said he applied full power, but was unable to stop a rapid descent in time to avoid impact with trees. The terrain in that area sloped upward to the north to a butte. About 52 mi west at roseburg, OR, the 1548 PDT wind was from 340 deg at 8 KTS. Density alt at the acdnt site was computed to be 5570 ft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1365E
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17270970
- Airframe hours
- 2,171
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Paul Cap, doing business as Hedlund Construction
- Registered owner
- Hedlund Contractors
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 12, 1988 · 148 hours before
- Departed
- S21 · Sunriver, OR
- Destination
- LMT · Klamath Falls, 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
- 63
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,700 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 8,591 as pilot in command · 49 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RBG, 52 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 N1365E · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.