20250713008929A

On the morning of 07/13/2025 a Cessna 172 departed aurora state airport (uao) shortly after 08:00 am on a flight to Sisters Eagle Air Airport (6K5). The plane was occupied by a private pilot, a certified flight instructor (CFI), and a passenger in the rear seat. The plane was topped off with fuel prior to departing uao. The private pilot brought up the concern of too much fuel on board to the CFI, and that the plane was now exceeding max gross weight. The CFI was dismissive of the suggestion that the plane was overloaded and said that it was fine. The private pilot speculated that the CFI knew better than her and that the flight would be okay. The plane departed uao and landed at 6K5 around 09:00 am without incident.

After a brief rest in Sisters, everyone re-boarded the plane around 11:00 am for a departure back to uao. However, this time the private pilot suggested to the CFI that she wanted the passenger to ride up front on the way back to get a discovery/introductory flight. The private pilot sat in the left-rear seat, the CFI was in the front-right, and passenger sat in the front-left.

Prior to boarding the aircraft, the CFI did not give a safety briefing to the passengers. While starting the airplane the CFI appeared to be rushing and did not use a checklist. Prior to departure the pilot did not perform a run-up procedure. There was no updated weight and balance, OR performance calculation performed prior to takeoff. The pilot never briefed anyone on the departure nor was it discussed. The chart supplement has a remark published for 6K5 that states: “pilots may consider a departure climb over meadow approximately 45* to the left of the departure end of rwy 02”.

According to the pilot/cfi, on take-off the fuel mixture was leaned for best power, and 10% flaps were used as the plane accelerated to 55 knots. The plane took off from rwy 02 and started climbing at 60 knots straight out on runway heading. The plane was struggling to climb and had trouble maintaining airspeed. The stall warning horn went off just prior to brushing the first tree. The nose was lowered slightly to briefly regain airspeed and hopefully avoid a stall. Shortly after regaining control, the stall warning horn went off again and struck a tree with the right wing. The wing sheared off and the pilot attempted to turn left into a clearing to make an emergency landing. The plane spun 180 degrees and came to rest on the right side. The plane caught fire and started to erupt into flames while everyone escaped the wreckage. The passenger (seated left-front) was able to get out first, then helped free the passenger/private pilot (seated left-rear). Then the passenger helped free the CFI (seated right-front). Everyone was able to escape the wreckage and were treated at a nearby hospital. The passenger escaped with minor injuries. The private pilot, located in the left rear seat sustained serious injuries to include: 2nd degree burns on the right arm and a concussion. The pilot/cfi located in the front-right seat sustained serious injuries to include: 3rd degree burns on the arms, 2nd degree burns on the back, and a compression fracture on the lower lumbar.