Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Enterprise, Oregon 97861
Saturday, July 24, 1982 22:20 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

WITNESSES OBSERVED AN AIRCRAFT FLY OVER THE CITY OF ENTERPRISE, OREGON ON A BRIGHT NIGHT WITH CLEAR SKY CONDITIONS. REPORTEDLY, THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING VERY ERRATIC; AND JUST AS IT DISAPPEARED FROM THE WITNESSES' SIGHT, AN EXPLOSION ANDFIREBALL WERE OBSERVED WHERE IT DISAPPEARED. ACCORDIMG TO ONE WITNESS, THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO MANEUVER UP AND THEN DROP DOWN BEFORE IT CRASHED. THE PLANE CRASHED ON DOWN SLOPING TERRAIN IN A NOSE LOW, RIGHT WING DOWN ATTITUDE. THE PLANE SLID ABOUT 100 FT DOWN HILL AND THE WRECKAGE WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE. THE PROPELLER SEPARATED DURING IMPACT AND SHOWED EVIDENCE OF POWER; IT WAS BADLY BENT AND HAD LARGE GOUGE MARKS ON THE TIPS. THE FLIGHT CONTROL CABLES WERE COMPLETE AND UNBROKEN TO THE TAIL AND WERE CONTINUOUS TO BOTH WINGS EXCEPT WHERE THE WINGS HAD SEPARATED. A TOXICOLOGICAL CHECK OF THE PILOT'S BLOOD REVEALED AN ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 0.449%. THE ELEVATION OF THE CRASH SITE WAS ABOUT 3900 FT MSL.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/24/1982
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 2220
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City ENTERPRISE
Event State OREGON
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 97861
Event Date Year 1982
Event Date Month 7
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 Unknown
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Unknown
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 0
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) 0
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 3
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency FAA
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1798
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information
Date of most recent change to record Dec 18 2002 11:28AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\GIUV
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N55492
NTSB Number SEA82FYM22
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 Ground
Aircraft Explosion Ground
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model 24-140
Aircraft Series Identifier 24-140
Aircraft Serial Number 28-7325417
Certified Max Gross Weight 2050
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class Unknown
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 Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection 54
Airframe Hours 1565
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name BRUCE C. SEHOFIELD
Aircraft Owner Street Address 419 S. MAIN
Aircraft Owner City MILTON FREEWATE
Aircraft Owner State OR
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 97862
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name BRUCE C. SEHOFIELD
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 419 S. MAIN
Operator City MILTON FREEWATE
Operator State OR
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 97862
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
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
Departure City JOSEPH
Departure State OR
Departure Country
Departure Time 2130
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City JOSEPH
Destination State OR
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Sep 18 2002 4:50PM
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 --