Lockheed LEARSTAR, L-18-56 accident near Silvana, Washington, August 22, 1983
On August 22, 1983 at about 1:32 am local time, a Lockheed LEARSTAR, L-18-56, registered N116CA, was destroyed in an accident near Silvana, Washington. It was a skydiving flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 11 people were killed and 2 people were seriously injured; 13 others were unhurt. 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
- August 22, 1983 · about 1:32 am local time
- Place
- Silvana, Washington
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 11 people were killed and 2 people were seriously injured; 13 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lockheed LEARSTAR, L-18-56 LEARSTAR,
- Registration
- N116CA · registry record · serial 2472
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Skydiving flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS ON A SPORT PARACHUTE FLT TO CARRY 24 PARACHUTISTS TO 12,500' OVER A DROP ZONE (DZ) FOR A MASS JUMP. IT WAS IN A CARGO CONFIGURATION WITH NO PASSENGER SEATS, BUT IT HAD 1 JUMP SEAT. THERE WERE 24 SEAT BELTS ON THE FLOOR OF THE CARGO AREA. ALSO, THE CABIN DOOR HAD BEEN REMOVED & AN UNAPPROVED STEP & 4 HANDHOLDS WERE INSTALLED OUTSIDE & FORWARD OF THE CABIN DOOR FOR PARACHUTISTS. THE USUAL JUMP-RUN PROCEDURE WAS FOR THE ACFT TO BE SLOWED TO 95 TO 100 KTS, EXTEND THE GEAR & APCH FLAPS & REDUCE POWER ON THE LEFT ENG. THE JUMPERS REMAINED IN POSITION WITHOUT USING SEAT BELTS UNTIL APCHG THE DZ, THEN 2 MOVED OUTSIDE THE ACFT WHILE OTHERS MOVED CLOSE TO THE DOORWAY. THE 1ST JUMPERS WERE UNAWARE OF ANYPROBLEM, BUT SAW THE ACFT ENTER A STEEP BANK, ROLL OVER & SPIRAL NOSE DOWN. 16 JUMPERS EXITED THE ACFT, BUT 3 HIT THE STABILIZER. THE ACFT CRASHED IN A NEAR VERTICAL DSCNT. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE CG WAS BEHIND THE AFT LIMIT FOR TAKEOFF & THE JUMP. THE ELEVATOR TRIM ACTUATOR WAS FOUND IN A POSITION FOR FULL NOSE-UP TRIM.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,000 hours in all; 110 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 22,500 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Wright R-1820-76B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Landry Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: S88 Arlington WA at 1:05 am
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Observation at 1:00 am from PAE, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 9 | 2 | 13 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N116CA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.