Piper PA-28-180 N15653

Summary

On 23 October 1987 at about 02:45 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N15653, operated by Aero West Flight Center, was involved in an accident near Colville, Washington, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

23 October 1987 at 02:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Colville, Washington, United States

Nearest airport

Colville (63S)

Coordinates

48.6697, -117.7491

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

N15653

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Aero West Flight Center

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Colville → Vancouver

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

SEA88FA012

2 people died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

ALTHOUGH THE RECENTLY CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS NOT CHECKED OUT BY THE FIXED BASE OPERATOR FOR NIGHT FLIGHT AND HAD BEEN WARNED TO RETURN BEFORE SUNSET, HE DEPARTED THE AIRPORT DURING DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS. WITNESSES REPORTED OBSERVING THE AIRCRAFT CLIMB OUT AND THEN EXECUTE A RIGHT TURN BACK TOWARDS THE AIRPORT DURING WHICH THE CLIMB EVOLVED INTO A DESCENT. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND IN A RIGHT WING DOWN NOSE LOW ATTITUDE ON A BEARING CLOSELY APPROXIMATING THE DOWNWIND FOR THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY AND AT A POINT ROUGHLY 1600 FEET ABEAM THE EXTENDED RUNWAY CENTERLINE. NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WAS EVIDENT; NOR WAS THERE ANY EVIDENCE OF ANY PREIMPACT PILOT IMPAIRMENT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.