Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

N Bonneville, Washington 98639
Tuesady, August 16, 1988 12:20 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

WHILE ON A FLT FROM OROVILLE TO ORCHARDS, WA, THE ACFT WAS ABOUT 25 TO 30 MI EAST OF THE DESTN WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH TREES & CRASHED. IMPACT OCCURRED APRX 100 FT BELOW THE TOP OF A RIDGELINE AT AN ELEV OF ABOUT 1755 FT. A WITNESS, WHO HEARD THE CRASH, RPRTD THE AREA WAS COVERED WITH HEAVY FOG. HE HEARD THE ACFT COMING FROM THE EAST, THEN SAW IT FLYING JUST ABOVE THE TREES AT AN ALT OF APRX 60 FT AGL. IT DISAPPEARED IN FOG TO THE WEST & CRASHED ABOUT 15 SECONDS LATER WHILE ON A SOUTHERLY HDG. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL PROBLEMS OF THE ACFT WERE EVIDENT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/16/1988
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1220
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City N BONNEVILLE
Event State WASHINGTON
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 98639
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 8
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 Unknown
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 1147 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 230
Weather Observation Facility ID PDX
Elevation of weather observation facility 26
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 28
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Unknown
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) 18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 14
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 2415
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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1164
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 16 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1500
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 37257
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:04PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N3ME
NTSB Number SEA88FA154
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 CESSNA
Aircraft Model 210E
Aircraft Series Identifier 210E
Aircraft Serial Number 21058672
Certified Max Gross Weight 3100
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 Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Mar 18 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 43
Airframe Hours 2035
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name EVERETT L. MERRITT
Aircraft Owner Street Address 18715 NE 132ND AVENUE
Aircraft Owner City BATTLE GROUND
Aircraft Owner State WA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 98604
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name EVERETT L. MERRITT
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 18715 NE 132ND AVE
Operator City BATTLE GROUND
Operator State WA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 98604
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 Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code 0S7
Departure City OROVILLE
Departure State WA
Departure Country
Departure Time 945
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code OS6
Destination City ORCHARDS
Destination State WA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
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 --