Accident Piper PA-28-140 N454FL,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 44674
 
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Date:Thursday 14 October 2004
Time:18:00
Type:Silhouette image of generic P28A model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Piper PA-28-140
Owner/operator:Cirrus Aviation, LLC
Registration: N454FL
MSN: 28-7125249
Year of manufacture:1971
Total airframe hrs:4070 hours
Fatalities:Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Grand Ronde, OR -   United States of America
Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:Private
Departure airport:McMinnville, OR (MMV)
Destination airport:
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The pilot, accompanied by his two passengers, departed on a local flight with the intention of returning in two hours. After the aircraft failed to return, search and rescue operations began. The aircraft was located the following afternoon in a dense forested area approximately 32 miles southwest of its destination. A witness who was hunting in the general vicinity on the day of the accident observed the airplane approach from the south and circle the area to the northwest in a deliberate manner. The witness was concerned about the airplane's low altitude over the hilly terrain and noted, "...it looked very slow, almost at stall speed, with the tail lower than the front of the airplane." The witness listened for any indication of engine trouble, "...but it was smooth and powerful." The witness observed the airplane disappear over some trees to the east, and about 10 to 15 minutes later it returned overhead, proceeding east again until it was out of sight. The witness found out later that the airplane he observed was the same one which had crashed. Examination of the aircraft revealed no anomalies which would preclude normal operations.







Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from high terrain while maneuvering. A factor contributing to the accident was the high terrain.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: SEA05FA007
Status: Investigation completed
Duration:
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20041020X01662&key=1

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
28-Oct-2008 00:45 ASN archive Added
21-Dec-2016 19:24 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
07-Dec-2017 18:28 ASN Update Bot Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative]

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