Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Chehalis-Centralia Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Chehalis, Washington 98532
Sunday, December 11, 2005 14:50 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
While on a one-half mile VFR GPS straight-in final approach, the pilot lost control of the aircraft for undetermined reasons. The aircraft then rolled into a bank angle of about 90 degrees, and began to descend toward the terrain with the engine producing power at a very high RPM. The pilot was not successful in making a complete recovery from the loss of control, and during his attempted remedial action, the right wing of the aircraft made contact with the terrain. The aircraft struck the ground numerous times over a distance of 320 feet, ultimately coming to rest with the wings separated from the fuselage at the end of the aforementioned wreckage track. A post-accident inspection of the aircraft and engine by an FAA Airworthiness inspector, as well as a follow-up inspection of the aircraft by the NTSB IIC and the same Airworthiness Inspector, did not reveal any evidence of an engine malfunction or any pre-impact anomaly in the aircraft's structure or flight control system. Due to the extent of his injuries, the pilot did not remember anything about the accident or about being on an approach to the airport.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's loss of control of the aircraft for undetermined reasons while on a one-half mile straight-in VFR GPS final approach. Factors included his unsuccessful remedial action, and contact with the terrain in an open soft field.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/11/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1450 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | Chehalis |
| Event State | WASHINGTON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 98532 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 464037N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1225858W |
| Event Location Airport | Chehalis-Centralia |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KCLS |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 174 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1453 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 160 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KTDO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 175 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 7 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Light and Variable |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.16 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 19703 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 11 2005 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 30 2006 1:54PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Seattle FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N900EH |
| NTSB Number | SEA06LA026 |
| 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 | Hitchens |
| Aircraft Model | EDI 90FT |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | CH067 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| 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 | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 1 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 27 |
| Airframe Hours | 27 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Charles B. and Donna K Hitchens |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Lewisville |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 75077 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Joel D. Pressly |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Shelton |
| Operator State | WA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 98584 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | KOLM |
| Departure City | Olympia |
| Departure State | WA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1330 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | KCLS |
| Destination City | Chehalis |
| Destination State | WA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach - VFR pattern - final approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 13 2006 2:17PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 16 |
| Runway Length | 5000 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |