Boeing A75N1 accident near Salmon, Idaho, October 19, 1989
On October 19, 1989 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Boeing A75N1, registered N75863, was destroyed in an accident near Salmon, 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
FAILURE OF PILOT TO PROPERLY EVALUATE WEATHER CONDITIONS THROUGH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AND FLY AT AN ALTITUDE HIGH ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN TERRAIN CLEARANCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 19, 1989 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Salmon, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing A75N1 · all A75N1s on the register
- Registration
- N75863 · registry record · serial 75-2509
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT THROUGH A CANYON IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED A DOWNDRAFT AND BEGAN TO LOSE ALTITUDE. THE PILOT MADE A DECISION TO TURN AROUND, HOWEVER, DURING THE TURN, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A TREE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS WITH THE AIRPLANE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
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; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 1,600 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 2,800 as pilot in command; 1,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,717 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental W670-6ACN (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: U15 Challis ID
- Destination: MSD Missoula MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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 SEA90LA008.