Cessna 170A N1487D

Summary

On 31 August 1997 at about 01:30 local time, a Cessna 170A registered N1487D was involved in an accident near Elk City, Idaho, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

31 August 1997 at 01:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Elk City, Idaho, United States

Nearest airport

Copenhaver Airstrip

Coordinates

45.7993, -115.5094

Aircraft

Cessna 170A

Registration

N1487D

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Grangeville → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

SEA97LA200

1 person was seriously injured.

A horse and children wandered onto the airstrip.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was attempting to land at an 800-foot-long wilderness ranch airstrip, which he described as 'a one way strip with no go around for a plane with only 145 HP.' The pilot reported that on final approach to the strip, he saw two children chasing a horse across the strip from left to right. He stated an adult male then came from the right side of the strip and threw his hands up in front of the horse, stopping the horse on the landing surface. The pilot reported that at this point, with people on both sides of the strip and the horse standing on the strip, he attempted a go-around 'knowing [there] was no way the plane could [climb] out and over the trees and canyon at the end of the runway.' The airplane stalled about 60 feet above ground level and 'came down almost flat' onto a pile of large rocks. The pilot reported that no mechanical failure or malfunction was involved.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.