Piper PA-18-150 accident near Harrah, Washington, September 6, 1997
On September 6, 1997 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N2349J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Harrah, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a transmission wire while on final approach. A factor was a 40-foot high transmission wire located approximately 20 feet from the end of the airstrip.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 6, 1997 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Harrah, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N2349J · no longer on the register · serial 18-7909111
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot made two approaches to the east end of the grass airstrip. On the first approach he performed a touch-and-go, and on the second he did not touch down, but instead flew low over the length of the runway. At the end of the second approach, the pilot pulled up steeply, climbed a few hundred feet, and then entered a steeply banked right turn, resulting in a course reversal. After the reversal, he entered a rapidly descending slip toward the west end of the runway. Just after terminating the slip, the aircraft impacted 40 foot high power lines that were located about 20 feet from the runway threshold.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 275 hours in all; 9 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 550 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 27, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 1,625 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C4P (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: YKM Yakima WA at 4:45 pm
- Destination: WA26
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.