What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 8, 2019, a single-engine Piper model PA-32-300 cherokee six aircraft contacted mountainous terrain approximately 23 miles southwest of La Grande Oregon. The pilot and sole occupant of the aircraft was fatally injured and the aircraft was destroyed. The aircraft was the subject of an alert notice issued after the family reported the aircraft overdue. The wreckage was located in steep, heavily wooded mountainous terrain, on September 10, 2019, by an aircraft search conducted by the civil air patrol and Oregon army national guard. Ground search teams arrived at the accident site approximately 1/2 hour after the aircraft was located. Damage to several trees, above the impact site and below the ridge top, indicate the aircraft was in a descent prior to impacting the trees.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 8, 2019, A SINGLE-ENGINE PIPER MODEL PA-32-300 CHEROKEE SIX AIRCRAFT CONTACTED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY 23 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LA GRANDE OREGON. THE PILOT AND SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS FATALLY INJURED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THE SUBJECT OF AN ALERT NOTICE ISSUED AFTER THE FAMILY REPORTED THE AIRCRAFT OVERDUE. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN STEEP, HEAVILY WOODED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2019, BY AN AIRCRAFT SEARCH CONDUCTED BY THE CIVIL AIR PATROL AND OREGON ARMY NATIONAL GUARD. GROUND SEARCH TEAMS ARRIVED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE APPROXIMATELY 1/2 HOUR AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED. DAMAGE TO SEVERAL TREES, ABOVE THE IMPACT SITE AND BELOW THE RIDGE TOP, INDICATE THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN A DESCENT PRIOR TO IMPACTING THE TREES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.