Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ashland, Oregon 97520
Saturday, March 26, 1988 20:30 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
DURING A DARK NIGHT VFR FLIGHT, THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED A SEVERE DOWNDRAFT AND INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. WITH FULL POWER THE ACFT DESCENDED, STRIKING TREES BEFORE IT STRUCK THE GROUND. DURING THE PILOT'S PREFLIGHT BRIEFING AND IN-FLIGHT BRIEFING HE WAS TOLD THAT FLIGHT PRECAUTIONS WERE PRESENT BECAUSE OF ICING, TURBULENCE, MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS, AND IFR CONDITIONS. IN A POST ACC STATEMENT THE PLT SAID HE WAS DESCENDING FROM 8000 FT MSL TO LAND AT MEDFORD OR FOR REFUELING WHEN HE ENCOUNTERED A STRONG DOWNDRAFT. THIS DESCENT CONTINUED UNTIL ABOUT 2000 FT AGL AT AN AIRSPEED OF 50 MPH. DUE TO LOW AIRSPEED AND TURBULENCE THE PLT DECIDED AGAINST TRYING A 180 DEGREE TURN. IMC WX CONDITIONS WERE ENCOUNTERED IN THE FORM OF FOG AND SNOW. THE PLT TURNED FROM 310 DEGREES TO 300 DEGREES AND BEGAN A CLIMB. AT APRX 6100 FT MSL ANOTHER DOWNDRAFT WAS ENCOUNTERED AND THE ACFT DESCENDED AT ABOUT 60 MPH UNTIL TREES WAS CONTACTED AT APRX 5100 FT. THE WINGS AND TOP OF THE ACFT WERE TORN OFF BUT THE 2 OCCUPANTS SURVIVED.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/26/1988 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 2030 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | ASHLAND |
| Event State | OREGON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 97520 |
| Event Date Year | 1988 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 0 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| 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 | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Partial Obscuration |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -1 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 330 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 30 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 40 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Moderate |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 171 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 26 1988 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2300 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 35704 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 11:38AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2958D |
| NTSB Number | SEA88LA067 |
| 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 | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 170 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 170 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 20750 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2200 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 15 1987 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 30 |
| Airframe Hours | 4111 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MARK D. MUELLER |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 6260 NEWT DRIVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | ANCHORAGE |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| 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 | SAC |
| Departure City | SACRAMENTO |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 725 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | MFR |
| Destination City | MEDFORD |
| Destination State | OR |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | 0 |
| Runway Width | 0 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |