Piper PA-18-125 accident near Fort Hall, Idaho, June 25, 1983
On June 25, 1983 at about 1:00 am local time, a Piper PA-18-125, registered N1144A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Hall, Idaho. 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).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 25, 1983 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Fort Hall, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-125 · all PA-18-125s on the register
- Registration
- N1144A · registry record · serial 18737
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT NOSED OVER DURING A FORCED LANDING AFTER A POWER LOSS. THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING A DESCENT TO AN ARPT THE ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST POWER. EMERGENCY START PROCEDURES FAILED AND A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN A GRAIN FIELD. DURING ROLL OUT THE ACFT NOSED OVER. THE PILOT SAID THAT AFTER THE ACCIDENT HE FOUND A DIRTY FUEL SCREEN AND THE ACFT HAD SAT ON THE GROUND FOR A WEEK AND A HALF WITH THE TANKS ONLY 1/2 FULL OF FUEL. HE FOUND WATER IN THE FUEL AFTER THE ACCIDENT. HE DRAINED SOME FUEL PRIOR TO TAKEOFF, BUT HAD NOT USED A STRAINER TO VISUALLY CHECK FOR WATER.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,125 hours in all; 525 in this make and model; 137 in the last 90 days; 3,900 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,410 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 1983
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: U58 Downey ID at 1:00 am
- Destination: PIH Pocatello ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 260° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 22,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:51 am from PIH, 13 miles away
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA83LA145.