Cessna 140A accident near Harper, Oregon, December 11, 1999
On December 11, 1999 at about 1:00 am local time, a Cessna 140A, registered N5347C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Harper, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot-in-command's failure to maintain terrain clearance. Factors include meteorological conditions obscuring the pilot's visibility and incapacitation due to illegal substances.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 11, 1999 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Harper, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140A · all 140As on the register
- Registration
- N5347C · no longer on the register · serial 15510
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot fatally injured when the airplane collided with terrain in an isolated area of the state. It was believed to have departed a ranch, about twelve miles southwest, in what was described as 'heavy snow conditions.' No flight plan was filed for the flight, and there was no report of the pilot receiving a weather briefing in preparation for the flight. The nearest aviation weather reporting point was about 70 miles from the crash site. An airmet for mountain obcuration in the area was in effect at the time of the accident. Toxicological testing was performed by the FAA Toxicological laboratory. Blood, brain, and urine toxicological samples were positive for amphetamine, and methamphetamine.
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; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 770 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,495 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 30, 1999; 139 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-14F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Crowley Ranch OR
- Destination: EUL Caldwell ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.