Piper PA-28-161 N8414B

Summary

On 12 January 1997 at about 03:25 local time, a Piper PA-28-161 registered N8414B was involved in an accident near Sun River, Oregon, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 January 1997 at 03:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Sun River, Oregon, United States

Coordinates

45.1008, -123.2296

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-161

Registration

N8414B

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Boise → Bend

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

SEA97LA048

2 people had minor injuries.

inadvertent VFR flight by the pilot into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and his failure to maintain altitude/clearance above moutainous/wooded terrain. Factors relating to the accident were: darkness, adverse weather conditions, and the proximity of mountainous terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot, who was accompanied by a private pilot observer, descended through a hole in the clouds, while diverting from the planned destination due to en route weather conditions. During the descent, visual contact with the surface was lost. The pilot stated that as he resumed level cruise flight, they saw snow-covered trees and attempted to climb by adding full power and pitching up. Also, he said that when they saw that the terrain was rising faster than the airplane was climbing, they pulled back on the control wheel and made a power-on mushing flare into the pine trees and came to a stop in 3 feet of snow. The two pilots spent the night with the wreckage in winter conditions and were rescued the following morning.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.