Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
La Grande, Oregon 97850
Saturday, March 26, 2005 14:25 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The two seat experimental amateur-built airplane was destroyed when it impacted rough, sloping mountainous terrain heading north, coming to rest on a southerly heading just west of an interstate highway. A witness, who was driving north on the interstate, observed the airplane over the freeway, but lost sight of it in the snow and clouds as it proceeded west. A couple of minutes later the witness observed the airplane coming from the west and appeared to be trying to climb as it was being bounced around, then going out of sight due to the poor visibility. The witness subsequently came upon the wreckage a few minutes later, spotting what appeared to be a wing on the hillside just to the west of the freeway. No preimpact mechanical malfunctions were found during examination of the wreckage. A National Weather Service area forecast issued earlier in the day revealed that a strong and moist Pacific system was moving into the Pacific Northwest. Wind advisories were also to be issued that afternoon.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's VFR flight into IMC and his failure to maintain clearance with terrain during cruise flight. Factors were the existing weather conditions that included low ceilings, snow, obscuration, and the mountainous, rising terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/26/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1425 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | La Grande |
| Event State | OREGON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 97850 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 451290N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1180167W |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1455 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 353 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LGD |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2717 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 7 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 4 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 170 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 14 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 23 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.06 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 18539 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Regional Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 26 2005 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1500 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 27 2005 6:51AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Boise, Idaho |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4018G |
| NTSB Number | SEA05LA067 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Hoover |
| Aircraft Model | Challenger II STD |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | CH2-0102-2184 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| 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 | Feb 1 2005 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 15 |
| Airframe Hours | 220 |
| ELT Installed | -- |
| ELT Activated | -- |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | -- |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Sale Pending |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | -- |
| Aircraft Owner State | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Country | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | -- |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Keith G. Bird |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Spokane |
| Operator State | WA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 99208 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | EUL |
| Departure City | Caldwell |
| Departure State | ID |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1320 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | ALW |
| Destination City | Walla Walla |
| Destination State | WA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 1 2005 3:27PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |