Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Wilbur, Washington 99185
Tuesady, May 22, 2001
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The reported purpose of the flight was to survey the farm's fields, with the pilot (one of the owners of the farm and the aircraft) and a farm worker aboard. The passenger reported that the pilot fueled the aircraft before departure. He stated that he and the pilot took off and flew the fields northwest of the farm, flying over the fields starting in the north and progressively working their way south. The passenger stated that after they looked at all the fields, they then turned toward the Wilbur airport, and that that was the last thing he remembered. The crash site was approximately midway between the Sheffels Ranch private airstrip (approximately 5 nautical miles north-northwest of the Wilbur airport) and the Wilbur airport. No other witnesses to the accident were identified. Visual meteorological conditions with light to calm winds were reported at the nearest weather observation stations during the accident time frame, which was around local sunset. Post-accident examinations of the aircraft wreckage were indicative of a relatively low-speed, right-wing-first impact with the terrain, but did not reveal any evidence of mechanical or structural problems with the aircraft or engine. An autopsy and toxicological tests did not reveal any significant underlying disease or impairing substances in the pilot.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A collision with terrain for undetermined reasons.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/22/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | -- |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | Wilbur |
| Event State | WASHINGTON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99185 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 474730N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1184600W |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1950 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 208 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | EPH |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1276 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 42 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | -- |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 25000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 30 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 160 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.93 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 11540 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 23 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 221 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 20 2002 1:46PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | -- |
| FAA District Office | Spokane, WA |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7155K |
| NTSB Number | SEA01LA102 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-18-105 Special |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18-375 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1500 |
| 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 | May 22 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Sheffels L and Son |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 8505 Douglas Rd. E. |
| Aircraft Owner City | Wilbur |
| Aircraft Owner State | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99185 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | Aerial Observation |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Wilbur |
| Departure State | WA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 2015 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 2S8 |
| Destination City | Wilbur |
| Destination State | WA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Unknown |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 19 2002 1:55PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |