Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

John Day, Oregon 97845
Tuesady, August 23, 1988 17:15 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

WHILE ELK SPOTTING IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH TREES IN A NOSE LOW TURN SIMILAR TO THE INTERMEDIATE STAGES OF A STALL. A SEVERE POST IMPACT FIRE ERUPTED. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE ELEVATION WAS APPROXIMATELY 10,100 FEET. ALL SPARK PLUGS WERE FOUND TO BE EXCESSIVELY WORN AND FIRED INTERMITTENTLY DURING TESTING. TWO OF THE SPARK PLUGS WERE FOUND TO BE LEAD FOULED. THE FLAPS WERE FOUND IN THE FULL DOWN POSITION AND TREE LIMBS, APPROXIMATELY 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER, WERE FOUND WITH SMOOTH SLASHES DIAGONALLY THROUGH THEM.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/23/1988
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1715
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City JOHN DAY
Event State OREGON
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 97845
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 Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1646 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 300
Weather Observation Facility ID U33
Elevation of weather observation facility 3700
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 16
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
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) 37
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) 6500
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 3
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1283
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 23 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2030
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 37379
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:04PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N4175X
NTSB Number SEA88FA160
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 None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name AERO COMMANDER
Aircraft Model 100-180
Aircraft Series Identifier 100-180
Aircraft Serial Number 5029
Certified Max Gross Weight 2450
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 Dec 8 1987 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name WILLIAM W. MANLEY
Aircraft Owner Street Address 87164 MUIRLAND DRIVE
Aircraft Owner City VENETA
Aircraft Owner State OR
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) Business
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code U33
Departure City JOHN DAY
Departure State OR
Departure Country
Departure Time 1646
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 10:35AM
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 --