- Date
- August 6, 1995, 14:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sekiu, WA
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N98350Piper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 18, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950806022119A
- Case key
- 42212
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 continued flight into adverse weather necessitating a landing on a highway. The weather was a factor.
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 pilot reported that while en route to his final destination, the weather at the airport and in the surrounding area deteriorated. He opted to land on a highway before running out of gas. During the landing roll, the airplane collided with a telephone pole.
Factual narrative
On August 6, 1995, at 1400 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-28- 140, N98350, registered to and operated by a private owner as a 14 CFR Part 91 flight, collided with a telephone pole during a precautionary landing on a road near Sekiu, Washington. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private pilot and his three passengers were not injured. The flight had originated from Tofino, Canada, on August 6, 1995, at 1300, for the pleasure flight to Port Angeles, Washington.
The pilot reported that while en route to Port Angeles, the weather deteriorated and he was unable to land at Port Angeles under visual conditions. The weather in the surrounding area deteriorated and the pilot stated that he decided to land the airplane on a highway before the airplane ran out of gas. During the landing roll, the left wing collided with a telephone pole.
To this date, the pilot has not returned the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report Form.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N98350
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-26181
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John T. Franich
- Registered owner
- Jill Cusack
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- YAZ · Tofino
- Destination
- CLM · Port Angeles, WA
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 38
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 600 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 900 ft broken
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CLM, 34 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 N98350 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.