Canadair CL-600-1A11 accident near Hailey, Idaho, January 3, 1983
On January 3, 1983 at about 4:05 pm local time, a Canadair CL-600-1A11, registered N805C, was destroyed in an accident near Hailey, Idaho (Friedman Memorial airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 3, 1983 · about 4:05 pm local time
- Place
- Hailey, Idaho · Friedman Memorial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Canadair CL-600-1A11 CL-600-1A1 · all CL-600-1A11s on the register
- Registration
- N805C · no longer on the register · serial 1037
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT CRASHED INTO THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN RIDGE DURING A VFR ATTEMPT TO LAND AT AN ARPT WITH NO INSTRUMENT APPROACH. THE MOUNTAIN RIDGE WAS OBSCURED BY BROKEN CLOUNDS. THE PLT HAD CANCELLED HIS IFR CLEARANCE, & DURING THE DESCENT TO THE ARPT, HE HAD DESCENDED BELOW CLOUDS NEAR THE ARPT WITH CLOUDS STILL OBSCURING SOME OF THE TERRAIN. ONE MILE VISIBILITY WAS A REQUIREMENT FOR THE VFR APPROACH. ACCORDING TO WITNESS STATEMENTS, THE ACFT CONTINUED TO REMAIN BELOW THE CLOUDS & THE PLT CONTINUED THE APPROACH EVEN THOUGH HE WAS NOT PROPERLY POSITIONED TO MAKE A SUCCESSFUL LANDING. THE PLT HAD A PARTIAL OCCLUSION OF A CORONARY ARTERY, BUT ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE ACCIDENT WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE ACFT IMPACTED AT ABOUT 6250 FT MSL. THE FIELD ELEVATION IS 5315 FT MSL. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS ABOUT 2 1/2 MI FROM THE ARPT. THE ARPT WAS LOCATED IN A MOUNTAIN VALLEY ABOUT 1 TO 1.25 MI WIDE. ALSO, THE ARPT & SURROUNDING TERRAIN WERE COVERED WITH SNOW.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 19,239 hours in all; 57 in this make and model; 113 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 19,000 as pilot in command; 9,629 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 40,400 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming ALF-502-L2 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DEC Decator IL
- Destination: SUN Friedman Memor. ID
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 31, 6,600 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 4 knots
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; scat at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.