Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Kettle Falls, Washington 99141
Monday, August 17, 1987 11:20 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

WHILE ON A LOCAL PERSONAL FLIGHT, PLT ENTERED A CANYON INTO RISING TERRAIN, COLLIDING FIRST WITH A TREE AND THEN GROUND NEAR CREST. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT ACFT PROBABLY HAD PERFORMANCE TO CLEAR CREST HAD TREE NOT BEEN STRUCK. CIRCUMSTANCES INDICATE PLT MANEUVERED LEFT TOWARD A SADDLE AND PROBABLY LOST SIGHT OF THE TREE CLOSE TO THE LEFT WING. BOTH PLT AND PAX DO NOT RECALL CRASH SEQUENCE, HOWEVER A WITNESS ON THE GROUND OBSERVED THE ACFT TURN NORTH UP A CANYON AND WAS CONCERNED ENOUGH TO FOLLOW IT BY GROUND VEHICLE UP A CANYON ROAD.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/17/1987
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1120
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City KETTLE FALLS
Event State WASHINGTON
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 99141
Event Date Year 1987
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 1035 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 150
Weather Observation Facility ID GEG
Elevation of weather observation facility 2372
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 55
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 4200
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 10
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 20
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 2
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1351
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 17 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1227
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 34604
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 2:44PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N9747B
NTSB Number SEA87FA166
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 172RG
Aircraft Series Identifier 172RG
Aircraft Serial Number 1010
Certified Max Gross Weight 2650
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 Aug 7 1986 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 150
Airframe Hours 991
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name TRACY A. VANDEVENTER
Aircraft Owner Street Address 5180 THISTLE CT.
Aircraft Owner City COLORADO SPRING
Aircraft Owner State CO
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 80917
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 63S
Departure City COLVILLE
Departure State WA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1050
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 --