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Accidents · NTSB SEA90LA029 · Final report

Aero Commander 600 S-2D accident near Walla Walla, Washington, December 11, 1989

On December 11, 1989 at about 8:55 pm local time, a Aero Commander 600 S-2D, registered N1767S, was destroyed in an accident near Walla Walla, Washington (Walla Walla airport). It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).

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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged

AN ENGINE LOSS OF POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE EMBANKMENT.

Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.

What the record shows

Date
December 11, 1989 · about 8:55 pm local time
Place
Walla Walla, Washington · Walla Walla · map
Type
Accident
Injuries
No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
Weather
visual conditions (good weather)
Aircraft
Aero Commander 600 S-2D · all 600 S-2Ds on the register
Registration
N1767S · registry record · serial 600-1367D
Damage
Destroyed
Flight
Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)

The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record

AT THE END OF A FERRY FLIGHT TRANSPORTING FOR MAINTENANCE, WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO THE LANDING STRIP, THE PILOT APPLIED POWER AS NECESSARRY FOR LANDING. THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND AND THE AIRPLANE WAS LANDED SHORT OF THE AIRSTRIP. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH AN EMBANKMENT. A POST CRASH FIRE IGNITED AND DESTROYED THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE HAD NOT BEEN OPERATED FOR SOMETIME AND WAS OVERDUE AN ANNUAL INSPECTION.

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
  • Flight time: 3,300 hours in all
  • Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
  • Seat: ctr

The aircraft

  • Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
  • Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
  • Seats: 1
  • Landing gear: fixed
  • Engine: P&W R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total

The flight

  • Departed from: 8WA7 St. John WA at 7:40 pm
  • Flight plan: VFR
  • Runway 0

Weather at the time

  • Light: daylight
  • Visibility: 25 statute miles
  • Sky: not recorded; not recorded
  • Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)

Injuries

FatalSeriousMinorNone
Crew1

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 SEA90LA029.