Piper PA-28-180 accident near Sun Valley, Idaho, October 12, 1988
On October 12, 1988, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N8975J, was destroyed in an accident near Sun Valley, Idaho. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was 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
- October 12, 1988
- Place
- Sun Valley, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N8975J · no longer on the register · serial 28-2998
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT FLEW INTO A BOX CANYON AT A LOW ALTITUDE ABOVE THE GROUND NEAR 9000 FT MSL. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CLIMB OVER A RIDGELINE, THE AIRCRAFT STALLED, ENTERED A SPIN, AND DESCENDED NOSE DOWN UNTIL IMPACT WITH THE GROUND.
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: 132 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 42 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,456 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 1, 1988; 62 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-B1E (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sun Valley Aviation, INC
The flight
- Departed from: SUN Hailey ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:45 pm from SUN, 18 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.
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.