Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Idaho Falls, Idaho 83401
Thursday, November 17, 1988 2:30 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

PLT REPORTEDLY STOLE ACFT AND DEPARTED ABOUT MIDNIGHT IN SNOWSTORM. FOR 3 HOURS HE BUZZED LOCAL RESIDENCES VEHICLES UNTIL FUEL EXHAUSTION. FORCED LNDG MADE IN ROUGH FIELD. INVESTIGATION REVEALED PLT HAD LONG HISTORY OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND HAD FALSIFIED MEDICAL CERTIFICATE APPLICATION DATA.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 11/17/1988
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 230
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City IDAHO FALLS
Event State IDAHO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 83401
Event Date Year 1988
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 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 200 Mountain Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID IDA
Elevation of weather observation facility 4742
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 5
Time Zone of the weather observation MST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 400
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Obscured
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 1
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -1
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -1
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 100
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 3
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Moderate
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1335
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Nov 17 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 530
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 37430
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:19PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N1963P
NTSB Number SEA89LA019
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-18
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-18
Aircraft Serial Number 4180
Certified Max Gross Weight 1560
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 Dec 16 1987 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 17
Airframe Hours 4160
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name LINDEN J. BUTIKOFER
Aircraft Owner Street Address 6138 NORTH 5TH W.
Aircraft Owner City IDAHO FALLS
Aircraft Owner State ID
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 83401
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name LINDEN J. BUTIKOFER, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 6138 N. 5TH W.
Operator City IDAHO FALLS
Operator State ID
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 83401
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 U11
Departure City REXBURG
Departure State ID
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
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 --