Piper PA-18-105 Special accident near Wilbur, Washington, May 22, 2001
On May 22, 2001, a Piper PA-18-105 Special, registered N7155K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wilbur, Washington. It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A collision with terrain for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 2001
- Place
- Wilbur, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-105 Special · all PA-18-105 Specials on the register
- Registration
- N7155K · registry record · serial 18-375
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The reported purpose of the flight was to survey the farm's fields, with the pilot (one of the owners of the farm and the aircraft) and a farm worker aboard. The passenger reported that the pilot fueled the aircraft before departure. He stated that he and the pilot took off and flew the fields northwest of the farm, flying over the fields starting in the north and progressively working their way south. The passenger stated that after they looked at all the fields, they then turned toward the Wilbur airport, and that that was the last thing he remembered. The crash site was approximately midway between the Sheffels Ranch private airstrip (approximately 5 nautical miles north-northwest of the Wilbur airport) and the Wilbur airport. No other witnesses to the accident were identified. Visual meteorological conditions with light to calm winds were reported at the nearest weather observation stations during the accident time frame, which was around local sunset. Post-accident examinations of the aircraft wreckage were indicative of a relatively low-speed, right-wing-first impact with the terrain, but did not reveal any evidence of mechanical or structural problems with the aircraft or engine. An autopsy and toxicological tests did not reveal any significant underlying disease or impairing substances in the pilot.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,450 hours in all
- Last flight review: May 4, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 22, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Wilbur WA at 3:15 am
- Destination: 2S8 Wilbur WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Wind: from 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 am from EPH, 42 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA01LA102.