- Date
- September 24, 1992, 09:15 local (15:15 UTC)
- Place
- Lowell, ID
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9811LCessna 320B
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920924038699A
- Case key
- 42909
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
Ram induction air starvation of both engines and inability of the pilot in command to clear trees during the forced landing. Factors contributing to the accident were low ceilings and 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
While established in cruise at 14,000 feet and 21 inches of manifold pressure, both engines abruptly lost power. The aircraft was flying in snow at the time and the outside air temperature was reported as approximately 0 degrees fahrenheit. The aircraft descended to 3000 feet MSL and during the descent engine power was regained. The aircraft broke out of an undercast with approximately 800 feet of vertical and 1 square mile of lateral airspace in which to maneuver in, and with upsloping terrain surrounding the aircraft the pilot elected to execute a precautionary landing at an abandoned airstrip nearby. During the landing roll the aircraft impacted small trees which had grown up in the landing area. Post crash investigation revealed moisture within both air induction systems and determined that both alternate air systems were capable of proper operation. Additionally, uncontaminated fuel was found within all four fuel tanks.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9811L
- Reported as
- Cessna 320B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 320B0011
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-470-B, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ehrstrom, William H.
- Registered owner
- Mcdougall, Butch
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- PIH · Pocatello, ID
- Destination
- S86 · Sandpoint, ID
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 53
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,950 total · 30 in this make and model · 1,750 as pilot in command · 63 in the last 90 days · 34 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- S80, 53 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 N9811L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.