Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Corvallis Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Corvallis, Oregon 97333
Sunday, January 17, 2010 16:22 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The flightcrew had completed a public-use migratory bird survey flight. After landing, the pilot purchased fuel and updated the flight plan. The pilot stated to the flight service station briefer that he was aware of the area AIRMETs (airmen’s meteorological information) for mountain obscuration and turbulence that were active for the area of intended flight. The weather conditions at the destination 30 minutes prior to the accident were calm wind; 5 miles visibility; few clouds at 700 feet, broken clouds at 4,400 feet, and overcast at 5,000 feet.
The pilot departed for the destination, which was located 38 miles east and where the airplane was based. Although the pilot had updated his flight plan before they departed, the pilot never activated the flight plan once airborne. The route between the departure airport and destination airport consisted of flight over mountainous terrain with terrain elevations between 1,000 and 1,750 feet mean sea level (msl). Radar and global positioning system data showed that the airplane proceeded east at an altitude of around 2,800 feet msl and followed a highway. Twenty minutes after takeoff and 14 miles northwest of the destination, the airplane changed to southeasterly flight path towards the destination. The airplane started a very gradual descent and, after about 2 minutes, impacted trees at 1,500-feet msl while in level flight; the airplane was about 9 miles northwest of the destination.
Weather analysis indicated that conditions at the accident site leading up to the time of the accident were low clouds at 700 feet above ground level (agl) with ceilings at 4,000 feet. Surface conditions were near saturation, indicative of precipitation reaching the ground and/or reduced visibilities. Weather radar imagery indicated the accident airplane was below an area of light precipitation during the final portion of flight. Conditions between 300 feet agl and 1,500 feet were highly favorable for cloud sustainment and/or development. A much deeper cloudy region dominated altitudes above 4,000 feet, and the freezing level was about 5,000 feet. A postimpact examination did not reveal any anomalies with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain while operating into a known area of mountain obscuration due to low clouds, precipitation, and mist.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/17/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1622 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | Corvallis |
| Event State | OREGON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 97333 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 443345N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1232650W |
| Event Location Airport | Corvallis Municipal Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KCVO |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 9 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 250 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1635 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 120 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KCVO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 250 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 9 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 5000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3700 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 11 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 20 |
| 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) | 29.31 |
| 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) | 27624 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2010 5:08PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kelz |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N702 |
| NTSB Number | WPR10GA113 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Public Use |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 182R |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 182-68528 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3100 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 1 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | 3 |
| Passenger Seats | 3 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 21 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 4966 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | C126 |
| Aircraft Owner Name | UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | NBC AVIATION MANAGEMENT |
| Aircraft Owner City | BOISE |
| Aircraft Owner State | ID |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 83706-3991 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | NBC AVIATION MANAGEMENT |
| Operator City | BOISE |
| Operator State | ID |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 83706-3991 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | KONP |
| Departure City | Newport |
| Departure State | OR |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1600 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | KCVO |
| Destination City | Corvallis |
| Destination State | OR |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 1 2010 5:34PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |