Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Port Townsend, Washington 98368
Saturday, October 25, 1986 19:30 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PLT HAD FLOWN THIS ACFT OVER THE SAME ROUTE MANY TIMES. WHILE EN ROUTE, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TALL TREES ON RISING TERRAIN ABOUT 3 MILES SOUTH OF A DIRECT COURSE TO THE DESTINATION. THE WX IN THE VICINITY WAS CHARACTERIZED BY LOW CLOUDS, FOG & HAZE. APRX 23 MILES WEST, THE PORT ANGELES WX AT 1920 PDT WAS, IN PART: 1100 THIN BROKEN, SKY CONDITION OBSCURED ABOVE 1100 FT, VISIBILITY 3 MI WITH FOG AND HAZE, WIND CALM. THE ELEVATION OF THE CRASH SITE WAS ABOUT 1300 FT;THE ELEVATION AT PORT ANGELES WAS 288 FT. THIS PARTICULAR FOOTHILL WAS KNOWN TO BE THE SITE OF SEVERAL PRIOR MISHAPS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/25/1986
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1930
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City PORT TOWNSEND
Event State WASHINGTON
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 98368
Event Date Year 1986
Event Date Month 10
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 1920
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 260
Weather Observation Facility ID CLM
Elevation of weather observation facility 288
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 23
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
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) 3
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 12
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1594
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 26 1986 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1100
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 31972
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:14AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N2565P
NTSB Number SEA87FA014
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-38
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-38
Aircraft Serial Number 79A1040
Certified Max Gross Weight 1670
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 Mar 24 1986 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 39
Airframe Hours 562
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name WAYNE W. BERTSCH
Aircraft Owner Street Address 6648 HWY 101 W.
Aircraft Owner City PORT ANGELES
Aircraft Owner State WA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 98362
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 PAE
Departure City EVERETT
Departure State WA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1900
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code CLM
Destination City PORT ANGELES
Destination State WA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:36AM
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 --