Amateur-built PL-4A accident near Concrete, Washington, May 21, 1989
On May 21, 1989 at about 8:26 pm local time, a amateur-built PL-4A, registered N445CB, was destroyed in an accident near Concrete, Washington (Concrete Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AN IMPROPER LOW PASS AND CLEARANCE WITH TREES MISJUDGED BY PILOT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 21, 1989 · about 8:26 pm local time
- Place
- Concrete, Washington · Concrete Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built PL-4A
- Registration
- N445CB · no longer on the register · serial 75
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT STATED HE MADE A LOW PASS OVER THE RUNWAY AND COLLIDED WITH TREES ON CLIMBOUT. WITNESSES SAID HE WAS DOING LOW LEVEL AEROBATIC MANEUVERS AT THE TIME.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,500 hours in all; 124 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 9,250 as pilot in command; 650 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 260 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 20, 1988; 124 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 950 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-75 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 2,580 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.