# Accident 20211205020619A: Piper PA-31-350, Medford, OR, December 5, 2021

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 5, 2021, 15:50 local time
- Place: Medford, OR
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.3607° N, 122.8771° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.3607&lon=-122.8771&mi=10
- Aircraft: N64BR, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N64BR-2023-03-04) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-31-350 (registry code 7103110, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-350) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-31-350
- Reported engine: LYCOMING TI0-540 SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 2,054 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR22FA055](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR22FA055) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20211205020619A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

AIRCRAFT DEPARTED MEDFORD AIRPORT AT ABOUT 1550 LOCAL TIME, THE PILOT INITIALLY QUERRIED TOWER ABOUT WHEN TO START THE RIGHT TURN ON THE IFR DEPARTURE (SID). TOWER INSTRUCTED THE PILOT TO FOLLOW THE PUBLISHED DEPARTURE AND READ OUT THE INSTRUCTIONS. THE RADAR TRACKS SHOW THE AIRCRAFT STARTING A RIGHT TURN.  THEY ARE GIVEN A LOW ALTITUDE ALERT BY TOWER.   THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM THE PILOT. RADAR TRACKS SHOW SOME AGGRESSIVE CLIMBING AND DESCENDING AND SUREVILLANCE VIDEOS CAPTURE THE THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTING THE GROUND AT A NEAR VERTICAL ANGLE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB WPR22FA055](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR22FA055), Dec 6, 2021: Piper PA-31-350 (N64BR), Medford, OR, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control during the initial climb into clouds due to spatial disorientation, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent and collision with terrain.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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