Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Malheur City, Oregon 97917
Saturday, November 13, 1999 11:20 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
For about two months prior to the accident, the aircraft's electrical system had been operating improperly and failing to charge the battery. Although two maintenance shops had attempted to correct the problem, as of the date of the accident, the system was still not functioning correctly. During this two-month period, the pilot had continued to operate the aircraft, turning on the master switch only during engine start and for brief periods of radio transmission. On the day of the accident, he turned on the master switch to start the engine, and then not realizing that he had not turned it off, headed for his destination. About 10 minutes after takeoff, the pilot smelled what he thought was either smoke or fumes from a malfunctioning heater, and elected to make a precautionary landing. While attempting to land in an open area near a county road, the aircraft collided with a power line that the pilot was trying to go under in order to get to the point where he wanted to touch down. After hitting the power line, and with the fumes getting stronger, the pilot tried to get the aircraft on the ground as quickly as possible. As a result, the aircraft touched down at an excessive descent rate, and both main gear collapsed. Immediately after exiting the aircraft, the pilot noticed a small fire in the right wing root. He elected not to approach the aircraft to attempt to put out the fire, and it was eventually consumed by the flames.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's excessive descent rate during an attempted precautionary landing. Factors include the pilot's intentional operation of his aircraft with a known electrical system deficiency, a malfunction of the electrical system while in flight, the pilot's failure to maintain clearance from an electrical transmission line while attempting a precautionary landing, and rough terrain conditions at the location where the landing was attempted.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/13/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1120 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | MALHEUR CITY |
| Event State | OREGON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 97917 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| 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 | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 50 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 7 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Light and Variable |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1791 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 14 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 800 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 25 2001 4:45AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N82553 |
| NTSB Number | SEA00LA018 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA18 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA18 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18-7909005 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1750 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 6 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 100 |
| Airframe Hours | 2089 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RONALD J. SUTPHIN |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 3035 |
| Aircraft Owner City | PRINCETON |
| Aircraft Owner State | OR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 97721 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | CROWLEY RANCH |
| Departure State | OR |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1110 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | ONO |
| Destination City | ONTARIO |
| Destination State | OR |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 25 2001 4:10AM |
| 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 | -- |