Aviat A1-A accident near Pine, Idaho, January 14, 2006
On January 14, 2006 at about 7:20 pm local time, a Aviat A1-A, registered N456AM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pine, Idaho (Pine airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 clearance from terrain while maneuvering. Snow covered terrain and flat light conditions are contributing factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 14, 2006 · about 7:20 pm local time
- Place
- Pine, Idaho · Pine · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aviat A1-A
- Registration
- N456AM · registry record · serial 354950
- 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 he intended to over fly the airstrip, without landing, and return to the departure airport. He reported that while on an extended downwind leg for the airstrip, the airplane touched down on the snow resulting in substantial damage to the airplane after colliding with a snow-covered frozen drainage reservoir. The pilot reported that flat light conditions hampered his ability to judge his relative distance to the ground. He further stated that he did not realize he was descending over the snow-covered terrain until he impacted the snow.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,066 hours in all; 671 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S67 Nampa ID at 6:50 pm
- Destination: S67 Nampa ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 2,300 ft by 125 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°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.