Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Battleground, Washington 98604
Thursday, July 15, 1993 14:46 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED PORTLAND INTNL ARPT ON A MAINTENANCE CHECK FLT, CLIMBED TO 1900 FT MSL & PROCEDED TO OVERFLY THE PILOT'S RESIDENCE. SUCH OVERFLIGHTS WERE NOT UNCOMMON ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S WIFE. RADAR DATA SHOWED THE ACFT FLYING A LEFT 360 DEG CIRCLE AT 1900 FT (APPROX 1000 FT ABOVE GND) BEFORE RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST. WITNESES CONFIRMED THE CIRCULAR ORBIT. EARLY INTO THE 2ND ORBIT THEY OBSERVED THE ACFT EXECUTE A STEEP LEFT TURN DURING WHICH THE NOSE DROPPED AND THE ACFT BEGAN A DESCENT, STRIKING A TREE AT A POINT APPROX 110 FT ABOVE THE GROUND IMPACT SITE & SEVERING THE OUTBOARD LEFT WING SECTION. THE ACFT THEN DESCENDED TO THE GND WHILE ROLLING LEFT ABOUT ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS. PROP SLASH MARKS ASSOCIATED WITH BOTH ENGINES INDICATED APPROXIMATELY 2200 & 2900 RPM FOR THE LEFT & RGT ENGINES RESPECTIVELY UPON GND IMPACT. POST CRASH EXAM REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF ANY CONTROL MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE ACFT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE ALTITUDE DURING HIS MANEUVER.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/15/1993
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1446
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City BATTLEGROUND
Event State WASHINGTON
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 98604
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1450 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 193
Weather Observation Facility ID PDX
Elevation of weather observation facility 27
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 14
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 4000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2800
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 20
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 20
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 12
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 20
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1484
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 15 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1627
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:29PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N8472C
NTSB Number SEA93FA153
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-34-220T
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-34-220T
Aircraft Serial Number 34-8233043
Certified Max Gross Weight 4750
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 7
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Apr 16 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 14
Airframe Hours 1555
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name RIVER CITY FLYING SERVICE, INC
Aircraft Owner Street Address 111 SW COLUMBIA, SUITE 1040
Aircraft Owner City PORTLAND
Aircraft Owner State OR
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 97201
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name FLIGHTCRAFT INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 7505 NE AIRPORT WAY
Operator City PORTLAND
Operator State OR
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 97218
Operator Code FCPA
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code PDX
Departure City PORTLAND
Departure State OR
Departure Country
Departure Time 1435
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --