Piper PA-22 (20) accident near Mccall, Idaho, September 5, 2005
On September 5, 2005 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-22 (20), registered N8276C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mccall, Idaho (Mc Call airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during takeoff. A wire fence was a factor in the accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 5, 2005 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Mccall, Idaho · Mc Call · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22 (20) · all PA-22 (20)s on the register
- Registration
- N8276C · no longer on the register · serial 22-2352
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
In a written statement the pilot reported that the airplane's takeoff acceleration was normal and that immediately after takeoff he lowered the airplane's nose and accelerated to best angle of climb while in ground effect. The pilot reported that after reaching best angle he began to climb; however, the airplane's airspeed rapidly decayed. The pilot reported that he lowered the airplane's nose, in response to the loss of airspeed, and turned the aircraft towards the crosswind and lowering terrain. After turning toward lowering terrain the pilot reported that he "landed on ground but hit wire fence." After colliding with the fence, the airplane nosed over resulting in substantial damage. The 1650 METAR observation at McCall, reported weather conditions, in part, as: winds from 260 degrees at 7 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; temperature 22 degrees Celsius; barometric pressure (altimeter) 30.14 inches. The McCall Airport is located in mountainous terrain. The airport elevation is 5,021 feet above mean sea level. The single hard surface runway (16/34) is 6,107 feet long and 75 feet wide.
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; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 2,226 hours in all; 180 in this make and model; 48 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MYL Mccall ID
- Destination: BOI Boise ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N8276C 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.