Piper PA-18-135 accident near Council, Idaho, January 7, 1993
On January 7, 1993 at about 8:40 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-135, registered N9841Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Council, Idaho (Council airport). It was a public-use flight under public-use (government) rules. No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE DURING THE LOW PASS. THE SNOW COVERED TERRAIN AND THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PREPARATION WERE FACTORS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 7, 1993 · about 8:40 pm local time
- Place
- Council, Idaho · Council · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-135 · all PA-18-135s on the register
- Registration
- N9841Q · no longer on the register · serial 54-2319
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT UPON ARRIVAL AT THE AIRPORT, HE NOTED THAT THE RUNWAY HAD NOT BEEN RECENTLY PLOWED OF SNOW. A LOW PASS TO THE NORTH OVER THE RUNWAY WAS MADE TO TRY TO DETERMINE THE DEPTH OF THE SNOW. THE PILOT TURNED THE AIRPLANE AROUND AND APPROACHED THE RUNWAY TO THE SOUTH TO MAKE A RUN ON THE RUNWAY AND 'DRAG' THE WHEELS ON THE SNOW. THE WHEELS CONTACTED THE SNOW JUST PAST MID FIELD AND THE PILOT STATED 'IMMEDIATELY WE WERE IN TOO DEEP AND I WAS UNABLE TO PULL IT OUT OR ADD POWER...' THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. AIRPORT PERSONNEL REPORTED THAT THE AIRPORT WAS NOTAMED CLOSED SINCE DECEMBER 27, 1992. THE PILOT DID NOT MAKE CONTACT WITH THE AIRPORT OPERATOR PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT AND THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS UNAWARE THAT THE AIRPORT WAS CLOSED.
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; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 18,039 hours in all; 8,831 in this make and model; 172 in the last 90 days; 77 in the last 30 days; 17,897 as pilot in command; 848 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,526 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 8, 1992; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,850 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Cambridge ID at 4:30 pm
- Destination: 1 Boise ID
- Runway 17, 3,600 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 9,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 9°F (-13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N9841Q the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.