Stehekin State Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Stehekin, Washington 98852
Thursday, June 16, 1983 12:45 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE ACFT CRASHED INTO TREES AT THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RWY DURING A GO-AROUND. THE PILOT HAD ATTEMPTED A LANDING ON RWY34 WITH FULL FLAPS. POWER WAS CUT ON FINAL OVER THE TREES AT 75 MPH. WHEN TOUCHDOWN HAD NOT BEEN ACCOMPLISHED ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN THE RWY THE PILOT DECIDED TO GO AROUND. THE WINDS WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE. FULL THROTTLE WAS ADDED BUT THE ACFTFAILED TO CLEAR THE TREES AND CRASHED. ALL OCCUPANTS WERE EJECTED FROM THE ACFT DURING THE CRASH. THE FRONT SEAT OCCUPANTS WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED THEIR SURVIVAL ENHANCED BY THE USE OF SEAT BELTS. THE REAR SEAT PASSENGERS SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THEIR SEAT BELTS WERE NOT FASTENED. THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED, THE FUSELAGE SPLIT AND SEPARATED INTO TWO PARTS WHICH ALLOWED OCCUPANT EJECTION. THE PILOT STATED IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW THAT HE EXPERIENCED NO POWERPLANT OR CONTROL MALFUNCTIONS BUT THAT THE ACFT SEEMED TO 'MUSH' AFTER INITIAL ACCELERATION AND CLIMB.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/16/1983
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1245
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City STEHEKIN
Event State WASHINGTON
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 98852
Event Date Year 1983
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport STEHEKIN STATE
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 18WA
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 1350
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1300 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 160
Weather Observation Facility ID EAT
Elevation of weather observation facility 1245
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 60
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 25000
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) 30
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 21
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 5
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 120
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 2500
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 2
Injury Total All 4
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 780
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 21199
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N47RR
NTSB Number SEA83FA127
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-24-250
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-24-250
Aircraft Serial Number 24-3283
Certified Max Gross Weight 2900
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 Apr 27 1982 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 186
Airframe Hours 2818
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name DIAMOND PATH, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 9716 MILL CREEK DRIVE
Aircraft Owner City EDEN PRAIRIE
Aircraft Owner State MN
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 55343
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name CALVIN A MERRIMAN
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address P.O. BOX 215
Operator City MAZAMA
Operator State WA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 98833
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 2S0
Departure City TWISP
Departure State WA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1130
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
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 34
Runway Length 2700
Runway Width 100
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --