Piper PA-16 accident near Vancouver, Washington, June 18, 2000
On June 18, 2000 at about 11:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-16, registered N5995H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Vancouver, Washington (Evergreen Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to determine the aircraft's airworthiness before flight, resulting in operation of the aircraft in an unairworthy condition and consequent fuel starvation, and his subsequent failure to maintain adequate airspeed in an emergency turn back to the airfield, resulting in a stall. Factors included: an unapproved fuel tank installation; the pilot's lack of recurrent flight training; the pilot's lack of recent experience; and the aircraft's low altitude at the time control was lost.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 18, 2000 · about 11:20 pm local time
- Place
- Vancouver, Washington · Evergreen Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-16 · all PA-16s on the register
- Registration
- N5995H · registry record · serial 16-623
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that after washing the aircraft, he decided to take it once around the airfield to dry it off. The pilot did not seek or receive the aircraft owner's permission for this flight, and did not determine that the aircraft was out of annual or that it incorporated an as-yet unapproved fuel tank installation. The fuel tank installation had not yet received FAA approval since the non-standard tank was failing tank drain tests (introducing the potential for the tank drain port to become unported at 'extreme flight attitudes.') The pilot reported that the aircraft's engine quit about 200 feet above ground level after takeoff. The pilot switched fuel tanks, but the engine 'did not revive in time.' The pilot attempted to turn back toward the field, but the aircraft 'lost lift' and impacted the ground. FAA inspectors who examined the airplane after the accident reported they found fuel aboard, and no evidence of any mechanical problems with the engine. The pilot reported he did not have a current required flight review, and that he had not flown as pilot-in-command in the last 10 years.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 3,850 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming UNKNOWN (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 59S at 11:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28R, 2,120 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from VUO
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.