- Date
- August 18, 1996, 07:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Grangeville, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3270YCessna 182E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960818023219A
- Case key
- 42448
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
failure of the pilot to maintain proper runway alignment and clearance from a fence post during landing. Factors relating to the accident were: an animal (deer) on the approach end of the runway, an encounter with a downdraft, and a fence post near the edge of the airstrip.
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
According to the pilot, he was on short final when a deer darted from the woods onto the approach end of the runway. He pulled up to miss the deer, and then continued his attempt to land on the 2100 foot grass strip. After passing over the deer, the aircraft drifted to the side of the dog-legged runway, encountered a downdraft, and collided with a fence post near the left edge of the airstrip. After hitting the post, the aircraft veered to the left and flipped over.
Factual narrative
On August 18, 1996, approximately 0700 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 182E, N3270Y, collided with a fence post while landing at the Pope/Devleig private airstrip near Grangeville, Idaho. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The personal pleasure flight, which departed Nampa, Idaho about 30 minutes earlier, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions at the time of the accident. The pilot was on a VFR flight plan, and the ELT, which was activated by the impact, was later turned off at the scene.
According to the pilot, he was on short final when a deer darted from the woods onto the approach end of the runway. He pulled up to miss the deer, and then continued his attempt to land on the 2100 foot grass strip. After passing over the deer, the aircraft drifted to the side of the dog-legged runway, encountered a downdraft, collided with a fence post, and twisted sideways. The aircraft touched down while still about 15 to 20 degrees off the runway heading, veered to the left, and flipped over near the edge of the strip.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3270Y
- Reported as
- Cessna 182E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18254270
- Engine
- Continental O-470-R, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Holubetz, Terry B.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 29, 1996
- Departed
- S67 · Nampa, ID
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- Pope/Devleig
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
- 57
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,850 total · 720 in this make and model · 2,420 as pilot in command · 75 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 40 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.