- Date
- April 14, 1991, 19:00 local (Apr 15, 1991, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Grangeville, ID
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5539XAero Commander S-2R
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 24, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910414019749A
- Case key
- 41555
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 improper decision by the pilot to continue VFR flight in IMC weather conditions in mountainous terrain, resulting in pilot disorientation and inadvertent flight into a box canyon. Factors relating to the accident were the rain showers and low ceiling weather conditions, and the box canyon in mountainous terrain.
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 flt encountered low ceilings and rain showers on a VFR flt thru remote high alt Mt. Terrain. The pilot inadvertantly entered a box canyon and attempted to reverse course. The acft impacted terrain on the side of the canyon at 7100 ft MSL.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5539X
- Reported as
- Aero Commander S-2R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1739
- Airframe hours
- 6,490
- Engine
- P&W R1340, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Operator
- Steve W. Kelsey
- Registered owner
- Steve W. Kelsey
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 21, 1991
- Departed
- SMN · Salmon, 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
- 44
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 6,800 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 28.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.