Amateur-built JUNIOR ACE accident near East Wenatchee, Washington, June 20, 1997
On June 20, 1997 at about 11:30 pm local time, a amateur-built JUNIOR ACE, registered N9017, was substantially damaged in an accident near East Wenatchee, Washington (Pangborn Memorial airport). It was an instructional 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
The dual student's improper attempt to abort the takeoff and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 20, 1997 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- East Wenatchee, Washington · Pangborn Memorial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built JUNIOR ACE
- Registration
- N9017 · registry record · serial 797-65-20
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During takeoff from a grass strip on an instructional flight, the commercially-rated student closed the throttle. The instructor felt it was too late to stop safety so he applied full throttle and told the student to complete the takeoff. The airplane veered to the right but became airborne past the end of the runway, then stalled and collided 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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,850 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 7,350 as pilot in command; 6,621 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 411 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 16, 1997; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,120 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental 65-8F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EAT at 11:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 1,200 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 11,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:45 pm from KEA, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 SEA97LA150.