Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Chehalis-Centralia Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Chehalis, Washington 98532
Tuesady, August 26, 2014 18:30 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On August 26, 2014, about 1830 Pacific daylight time, an amateur-built Thomas C. Sikes, Loehle 5151 Mustang, N73144, was destroyed following a loss of control during initial climb about 0.14 miles east of the approach end of runway 34, Chehalis Airport-Centralia Airport (CLS), Chehalis, Washington. The pilot, who was the registered owner of the airplane and the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The airplane, which was originating at the time of the accident, was being operated in accordance with 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
A witness, who is a professional pilot and who was positioned on the airport's south perimeter road and behind the accident airplane, reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge, that the pilot started his takeoff roll well back from the approach end of the runway on the grass. As the airplane's speed increased on the takeoff roll he observed it bounce due to the uneven terrain. The witness further reported that the airplane subsequently made it onto the runway's surface and became airborne, but the initial climb was not stabilized; the airplane's wings were rocking from side to side, and it's nose was pitching up and down. The witness stated that he then observed the airplane make a right turn of about 180 degrees, and still climbing in an unstable attitude. The airplane the went into a right bank and steep nose down attitude from an altitude of about 500 feet above ground level prior to impacting terrain to the east of his location.
The airplane impacted terrain in an fenced in yard of a local automotive repair facility, about 750 feet east of the where the takeoff run began; the location was also only about 165 feet east of a major interstate highway. Impact forces and the subsequent fire that ensued consumed the airplane, which was almost entirely of wood construction.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/26/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1830 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Chehalis |
| Event State | WASHINGTON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 98532 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 464012N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1225846E |
| Event Location Airport | Chehalis-Centralia |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | CLS |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.13 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 90 |
| Airport Elevation | 177 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1835 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CLS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 177 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 14 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| 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) | 31 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 320 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 11 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.95 |
| 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 | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Regional 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 | Aug 30 2014 9:23PM |
| User who most recently changed record | litt |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N73144 |
| NTSB Number | WPR14FA355 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | THOMAS C SIKES |
| Aircraft Model | LOEHLE 5151 MUSTANG |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 5151-150968705 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| 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 | -- |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Gregory G Graham |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Chehalis |
| Aircraft Owner State | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | -- |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Gregory G Graham |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Chehalis |
| Operator State | WA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | CLS |
| Departure City | Chehalis |
| Departure State | WA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1830 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | CLS |
| Destination City | Chehalis |
| Destination State | WA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 4 2014 10:19PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 34 |
| Runway Length | 5000 |
| Runway Width | 140 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |