Piper PA-28-161 N2851Z

Summary

On 7 July 2008 at about 00:00 local time, a Piper PA-28-161 registered N2851Z, operated by Cirrus Aviation LLC, was involved in an accident near Canyon City, Oregon, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 July 2008 at 00:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Canyon City, Oregon, United States

Nearest airport

Inshallah International (7OR8)

Coordinates

44.0906, -119.2897

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-161

Registration

N2851Z

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Cirrus Aviation LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

McMinnville → Canyon City

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX08CA243

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control. Contributing to the accident was the gusting tailwind.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that prior to departing for the flight to a ranch airstrip, he called the ranch owner, who advised him to always land to the south at the airstrip. While en route, he checked the weather at an airport located about 23 nautical miles from the airstrip and learned that the wind was from 310 degrees at 10 knots gusting to 16 knots. Upon reaching the airstrip, the pilot looked for a windsock or other wind indicator, but did not find one. He discounted the wind information he had obtained for the distant airport, as it was located over a mountain range from the airstrip, and decided to land to the south on runway 18 based on the ranch owner's advice. The pilot's first approach was "too fast" and he executed a go-around. On the second approach, he touched down and "felt an immediate drift to the left." The left wing tip struck a 2-inch diameter tree at the edge of the runway. The airplane continued veering to the left, and impacted a 4-inch diameter tree and an embankment before coming to a stop. The left wing spar sustained structural damage. The pilot stated that his "decision to land to the south, in a crossing tail wind with gusts, is the biggest factor for this accident."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.