ELK CITY, ID, USA
N1487D
Cessna 170A
The pilot was attempting to land at an 800-foot-long wilderness ranch airstrip, which he described as 'a one way strip with no go around for a plane with only 145 HP.' The pilot reported that on final approach to the strip, he saw two children chasing a horse across the strip from left to right. He stated an adult male then came from the right side of the strip and threw his hands up in front of the horse, stopping the horse on the landing surface. The pilot reported that at this point, with people on both sides of the strip and the horse standing on the strip, he attempted a go-around 'knowing [there] was no way the plane could [climb] out and over the trees and canyon at the end of the runway.' The airplane stalled about 60 feet above ground level and 'came down almost flat' onto a pile of large rocks. The pilot reported that no mechanical failure or malfunction was involved.
On August 30, 1997, approximately 1930 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 170A, N1487D, was destroyed in a loss of control and collision with terrain during an attempted go-around at the Copenhaver (Badley Ranch) airstrip located in Idaho's Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area approximately 25 miles south of Elk City, Idaho. The pilot of the aircraft sustained serious injuries. No flight plan had been filed for the 14 CFR 91 flight, which originated at Grangeville, Idaho. The pilot reported that he was attempting to land to the south on the 800 by 30 foot dirt strip, which he described as "a one way strip with no go around for a plane with only 145 HP." The pilot stated that on final approach to the strip, he saw two children chasing a horse across the strip from left to right about 500 feet down the runway. He stated that at that point, an adult male came from the right side of the strip and threw his hands up in front of the horse, and that the horse then stopped on the landing surface. The pilot reported that at that point, with people standing on both sides of the strip and the horse stopped on the strip, he attempted a go-around, "knowing [there] was no way the plane could [climb] out and over the trees and canyon at the end of the runway." The airplane stalled about 60 feet above ground level and came down "almost flat" onto a pile of large rocks. The pilot reported that no mechanical failure or malfunction was involved in the accident.
A horse and children wandered onto the airstrip.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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