North American SNJ 5 accident near Oroville, Washington, June 16, 2004
On June 16, 2004 at about 9:41 pm local time, a North American SNJ 5, registered CGKGE, was destroyed in an accident near Oroville, Washington. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate terrain clearance, which resulted in the in-flight collision with terrain. Rising terrain was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 16, 2004 · about 9:41 pm local time
- Place
- Oroville, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American SNJ 5 · all SNJ 5s on the register
- Registration
- CGKGE · no longer on the register · serial 84832
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On the morning of the accident the pilot ferried the airplane from Canada to Oroville, Washington, for a 100-hour inspection and to clear US Customs. Following the maintenance inspection and customs detail the pilot departed the airport, however shortly after takeoff the pilot returned to the departure airport after experiencing a problem with the airplane's global positioning system (GPS). Repairs to the unit were made and the pilot departed the airport. Approximately 10 minutes after the departure, local authorities received notification of a downed airplane east of the airport. The airplane collided with rising terrain approximately five miles east of the airport. Witnesses reported hearing the airplane fly up the valley east of the airport. One witness stated the airplane was running "...smooth, strong and easy", but didn't seem to be "pulling." A second witness reported the airplane was flying low up the valley and the engine was running smooth. Post accident examination of the airplane's engine revealed no evidence to indicate a mechanical failure that would have resulted in a loss of engine power.
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, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 14,238 hours in all; 51 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 300 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 16, 2004; 300 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 0S7 Oroville WA at 9:30 pm
- Destination: Unknown
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 16 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from KOMK, 30 miles away
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.