Piper PA-24-250 accident near Mccall, Idaho, July 5, 1985
On July 5, 1985 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-250, registered N5829P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mccall, Idaho. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were 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
- July 5, 1985 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mccall, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N5829P · no longer on the register · serial 25-910
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING IN A FLD FOLLOWING FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE PLT REPORTED HE DEPARTED YELLOW PINE, ID, WITH THE FUEL GAGES INDICATING 1/2. UPON REACHING AN ALT OF 10,000 FT, THE ENG QUIT DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS THEN SELECTED AND THE ENG WAS RESTARTED. A LANDING WAS MADE AT CASCADE, ID, TO OBTAIN FUEL, HOWEVER, FUEL WAS NOT AVAILABLE AT THE ARPT. TAKEOFF FROM CASCADE WAS MADE WITH THE FUEL GAGE INDICATING 1/4 FULL. AT AN ALT OF 6,500 FT, 3 MILES FROM MCCALL ARPT, THE ENG QUIT ONCE AGAIN DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION AND THE FORCED LANDING RESULTED.
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
- Flight time: 806 hours in all; 65 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 682 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-A1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3U2 Yellow Pine ID at 1:30 pm
- Destination: MYL Mccall ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.