Piper PA-28-235 accident near Lowell, Idaho, May 9, 2005
On May 9, 2005 at about 10:40 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-235, registered N8805W, was destroyed in an accident near Lowell, Idaho. 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 number four exhaust valve sticking in the open position during cruise flight. Factors include the pilot's failure to have an Airframe and Powerplant mechanic look at the engine after it had run rough immediately after start-up prior to this and a number of other flights, and no suitable terrain and a dense forest in the area where the loss of engine power occurred.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 9, 2005 · about 10:40 pm local time
- Place
- Lowell, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-235 · all PA-28-235s on the register
- Registration
- N8805W · no longer on the register · serial 10312
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in cruise flight, the aircraft's engine began to lose power, resulting in the pilot being unable to maintain his assigned altitude. Eventually the engine quit, and the pilot was forced to attempt a controlled crash in heavily forested mountainous terrain. A post-accident inspection determined that the number four exhaust valve had stuck in the fully open position, and that there was a build-up of valve guide material on the valve stem. An inspection of the aircraft logs revealed that the valve guides and stems had not been inspected in accordance with Lycoming Mandatory Service Bulletin 388C (not mandatory for aircraft operating under part 91) at the recommended 400 hour interval. It was also determined that the engine had been displaying symptoms typical of intermittent valve sticking (rough running for a few seconds immediately after start-up) prior to the accident flight and a number of other prior flights. The pilot, who was unaware that the rough running was possibly associated with sticking valves, had not taken the aircraft to an Airframe and Powerplant mechanic to determine the reason for the symptom.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,552 hours in all; 1,156 in this make and model; 52 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: February 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,885 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2004; 144 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B4-B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KJAC Jackson Hole WY at 8:13 pm
- Destination: KPSC Pasco WA
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: -4°F (-20°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.