Piper PA-24-250 accident near Stehekin, Washington, June 16, 1983
On June 16, 1983 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-250, registered N47RR, was destroyed in an accident near Stehekin, Washington (Stehekin State airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed and 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 16, 1983 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Stehekin, Washington · Stehekin State · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N47RR · registry record · serial 24-3283
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT CRASHED INTO TREES AT THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RWY DURING A GO-AROUND. THE PILOT HAD ATTEMPTED A LANDING ON RWY34 WITH FULL FLAPS. POWER WAS CUT ON FINAL OVER THE TREES AT 75 MPH. WHEN TOUCHDOWN HAD NOT BEEN ACCOMPLISHED ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN THE RWY THE PILOT DECIDED TO GO AROUND. THE WINDS WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE. FULL THROTTLE WAS ADDED BUT THE ACFTFAILED TO CLEAR THE TREES AND CRASHED. ALL OCCUPANTS WERE EJECTED FROM THE ACFT DURING THE CRASH. THE FRONT SEAT OCCUPANTS WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED THEIR SURVIVAL ENHANCED BY THE USE OF SEAT BELTS. THE REAR SEAT PASSENGERS SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THEIR SEAT BELTS WERE NOT FASTENED. THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED, THE FUSELAGE SPLIT AND SEPARATED INTO TWO PARTS WHICH ALLOWED OCCUPANT EJECTION. THE PILOT STATED IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW THAT HE EXPERIENCED NO POWERPLANT OR CONTROL MALFUNCTIONS BUT THAT THE ACFT SEEMED TO 'MUSH' AFTER INITIAL ACCELERATION AND CLIMB.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,833 hours in all; 285 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 2,750 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,818 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 27, 1982; 186 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-A1D5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2S0 Twisp WA at 6:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 2,700 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:00 pm from EAT, 60 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 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.