SEA04LA030

Factual narrative

On December 25, 2003, about 1825 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 172M, N1363U, sustained substantial damage after colliding with forested terrain approximately 100 yards east of the Elk City Airfield, Elk City, Idaho. The pilot, a recently certificated private pilot, and the one passenger aboard the airplane sustained serious injuries and were subsequently transported to a medical facility in Spokane, Washington. The airplane is owned by the pilot and was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country flight under the provisions of 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight that originated from Preston, Idaho. The pilot's planned destination was Orofino, Idaho. According to the manager of the Elk City Airport, the airplane made several low passes over the runway. He reported that on the last pass, from north to south, he observed the airplane making a steep climbing turn to the left. Shortly thereafter, the airplane impacted wooded terrain east of the runway. The accident occurred approximately two hours after sunset, in dark night conditions. In a written statement dated January 29, 2004, the pilot reported that the flight originated from Preston, Idaho, about 1600 hours, with a planned destination of Orofino, Idaho. After reaching the intended destination, the pilot stated he was unable to land due to deteriorating weather conditions and elected to divert to Grangeville, Idaho, approximately 33 miles to the southeast. After reaching Grangeville, the pilot reported that he located the airport, however, was unable to activate the pilot controlled runway lights. After multiple unsuccessful attempts to activate the runway lights, and deteriorating weather conditions, the pilot diverted to Elk City, approximately 30 miles east of Grangeville. After reaching Elk City, the pilot flew around the valley several times before locating the airport. After locating the airport, the pilot made several "low passes" over the airstrip and attempted to land on runway 14. According to the pilot, the landing attempt was aborted due to snowmobiles on the runway. Multiple landings were attempted on runway 14 and 35; however, each attempt was aborted due to snowmobile activity on the runway. The pilot reported that the weather was deteriorating, and one last landing to runway 35 was attempted, but again aborted due to snowmobile traffic on the runway. The pilot stated that during the climb after the landing attempt, "the crash occurred with no remembrance of the crash." The airport manager stated that there were snowmobiles operating on and around the airstrip prior to the accident. He reported that the snowmobile operators were attempting to guide the pilot to the unlit runway. The passenger of the airplane provided a written statement to the National Transportation Safety Board IIC, and reported that about 30 miles north of Salmon, Idaho, they encountered cloudy weather conditions and elected to land at the nearest airport. He reported that after identifying the Elk City Airport, the pilot indicated that he was going to make two low passes and attempt to land on a third pass. The passenger reported that he has no recollection of the sequence of events from the time of the second low pass to the time of the accident. Salmon, Idaho, is approximately 155 nautical miles east of Elk City. The Elk City Airport (S90) is located in mountainous terrain approximately 53 miles southeast of Orofino, Idaho. The airport elevation is 4,097 feet above sea level. The airport has a single turf/gravel curved runway (14/35), which is 2,600 feet long and 150 feet wide. The U.S. Government Airport/Facilities Directory (A/FD) states that the runway is not maintained in the winter. The airport is not equipped with a rotating beacon or runway lighting. At the time of the accident, the runway was covered with approximately 12 inches of snow. The 1832 METAR observation (ASOS) at McCall, Idaho, approximately 62 miles south of the accident site, reported, in part, visibility 1.5 statute miles in mist; clear sky conditions; temperature minus 8 degrees Celsius; dew point minus 8 degree Celsius and altimeter setting 29.72 inches. The 1856 METAR observation (ASOS) at Lewiston, Idaho, approximately 74 miles northwest of the accident site, reported, in part, visibility 9 statute miles in light rain; scattered clouds at 1,900 feet; broken clouds at 3,700 feet; overcast clouds 4,700 feet; temperature 4 degrees Celsius; dew point 3 degrees Celsius and altimeter setting 29.85 inches. The Grangeville Airport is equipped with medium intensity runway lights (MIRL). According to the airport caretaker, the lighting system automatically activates during the hours of darkness. No runway lighting outages or malfunctions were reported on the day of the accident. The Terminal Area Forecast (TAF) for McCall, Idaho, during the time frame of the accident, indicated periods of low ceilings, reduced visibility and snow showers. The pilot stated he received a weather briefing prior to the flight. FAA records indicated the pilot received a private pilot certificate (SEL), on December 20, 2003, five days prior to the accident. The pilot reported he was unable to land at the planned destination due to deteriorating weather conditions and diverted to Grangeville, Idaho, approximately 33 miles to the southeast. The pilot arrived at the alternate airport, but stated he was unable to activate the runway lights and elected to divert to Elk City, Idaho. The pilot stated he attempted to land, however, aborted the landing due to snowmobiles on the runway. The pilot stated multiple attempts to land were made, but each was aborted due to snowmobile activity on the runway. The pilot stated that during the climb after the last landing attempt, "the crash occurred with no remembrance of the crash." According to the manager of the Elk City Airport, the airplane made several low passes over the runway. He reported that on the last pass, from north to south, he observed the airplane making a steep climbing turn to the left. Shortly thereafter, the airplane impacted wooded terrain east of the runway. The airport manager also stated that there were snowmobiles operating on and around the airstrip prior to the accident. He reported that the snowmobile operators were attempting to guide the pilot to the unlit runway. The Elk City Airport is located in mountainous terrain. The airport elevation is 4,097 feet above sea level. The airport has a single turf/gravel curved runway that is 2,600 feet long and 150 feet wide. The U.S. Government Airport/Facilities Directory (A/FD) states that the runway is not maintained in the winter. The airport is not equipped with a rotating beacon or runway lighting. The accident occurred approximately two hours after sunset, in dark night conditions. At the time of the accident, the runway was covered with approximately 12 inches of snow. FAA records indicated the pilot received a private pilot certificate (SEL), on December 20, 2003, five days prior to the accident. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12