Piper PA-18-105 Special accident near Wilbur, WA

On May 22, 2001, a Piper PA-18-105 Special (airplane) was involved in an accident near Wilbur, WA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.

Date

May 22, 2001

Place

Wilbur, WA

Aircraft

Piper PA-18-105 Special · Airplane

Injuries

1 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Substantial

Position

47.792°N, 118.767°W

NTSB ID

20010608X01122

NTSB summary

On May 22, 2001, a Piper PA-18-105 Special airplane, N7155K, departed the Sheffels Ranch private airstrip near Wilbur, Washington, on a 14 CFR 91 aerial observation flight. The reported purpose of the flight was to survey the farm's fields, with the pilot (one of the owners of the farm and the aircraft) and a farm worker aboard. The pilot and passenger were last seen about 2015. When the flight did not return as expected, the pilot's family initiated a search for the aircraft. The wreckage of N7155K was located about 0130 on May 23, 2001, about 3 miles northwest of Wilbur. The aircraft was substantially damaged, the private pilot was fatally injured, and the passenger was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions were reported at Ephrata, Washington, at 1950, and no flight plan had been filed for the flight. The surviving passenger reported that the flight was bound for the Wilbur, Washington, airport (2S8) at the time the accident occurred. The passenger reported that the pilot fueled the aircraft before departure. He stated that he and the pilot took off and flew the fields northwest of the farm, flying over the fields starting in the north and progressively working their way south. The passenger stated that after they looked at all the fields, the pilot asked him if he had to go home, or if he could fly back to the Wilbur airport and help the pilot put the plane away. The passenger reported that he told the pilot that he would go with him. The passenger stated that they then turned toward the Wilbur airport, and that that was the last thing he remembered about

Probable cause

A collision with terrain for undetermined reasons.

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.