Piper PA18-150 accident near Touchet, Washington, May 24, 1983
On May 24, 1983 at about 9:04 pm local time, a Piper PA18-150, registered N8576C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Touchet, Washington. It was a business 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 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
- May 24, 1983 · about 9:04 pm local time
- Place
- Touchet, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA18-150 · all PA18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N8576C · registry record · serial 18-2730
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT NOSED OVER DURING LANDING AND CAME TO REST INVERTED IN AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING. THE PILOT WAS SURVEYING SOME LAND TO BE SPRAYED TO ESTIMATE THE COST. HE LANDED ON THE FIELD WHICH WAS VERY SOFT AND THE ACFT NOSED OVER. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED.
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
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 10,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,760 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 24, 1983
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Walla Walla WA at 1:51 pm
- Destination: NONE Touchet WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 30,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from ALW, 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.