- Date
- November 2, 1994, 16:30 local (Nov 3, 1994, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- La Grande, OR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4792JBeech A23
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 9, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19941102040769A
- Case key
- 42086
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 pilot's failure to maintain directional control. Factors include the soft, wet airstrip, and a ditch near the side of the runway.
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 on a local pleasure flight, the pilot decided to land at a dirt airstrip that was wet, soft, and muddy. During the landing roll the aircraft departed the side of the runway and impacted a ditch.
Factual narrative
On November 2, 1994, at 1630 Pacific standard time, a Beech A23, N4792J, impacted the terrain during the landing roll at Reds Wallowa Horse Ranch Airstrip. The certified flight instructor, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, was not injured, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The local personal pleasure flight, which departed Union County Airport, La Grande, Oregon, about 1500, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed, and there was no report of an ELT activation.
According to the pilot, he was sightseeing in the local area, and decided to land at the remote airstrip in order to take some pictures. At the time of his landing, the runway was wet, muddy, and soft, and when he touched down the aircraft was pulled off to one side of the runway. As the aircraft exited the runway it impacted a ditch, and sustained substantial damage to the airframe.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4792J
- Reported as
- Beech A23
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- MAO 198
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Alayan Int. Exporters, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special); Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 22, 1994 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- LGD · OR
- Airport
- A23 · Reds Wallowa Horse Ranch, runway 18, 2,000 × 40 ft, dirt
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
- 24
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 510 total · 26 in this make and model · 428 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.