- Date
- January 4, 1982, 16:22 local (Jan 5, 1982, 00:22 UTC)
- Place
- Pleasant Hill, OR
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8265APiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 4, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820104000249A
- Case key
- 72258
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The plane tookoff at 1505 PST on a local VFR pleasure flight with 4 occupants and about 48 gallons of fuel on board. The plane was estimated to be about 140 lbs over the maximum gross weight limit. At about 1622 PST, it was observed to break up in flight. Several witnesses reported the plane diving out of a cloud. Most reported hearing some type of explosive sound, and many also reported hearing a high-pitch whining/screaming/revving sound just before or after breakup. The plane was estimated to still be about 63 lbs over the maximum weight limit when it broke up. The wreckage was found scattered over an area of more than 1000 ft. the horizontal stabilators and vertical stabilizer had failed in their root areas and separated. The right stabilator had a downward spanwize camber. Both wings separated from the fuselage with the outboard 4 ft also separating. The leading edges of the right and left inboard wing sections were damaged and molded in a manner that one closely matched the other.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8265A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 288116037
- Airframe hours
- 875
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Thomas E. Magner
- Registered owner
- Dale H. Bridges
- Departed
- Eugene, OR
- Destination
- Eugene, OR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 23
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 117 total · 27 in this make and model · 5 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Temperature
- 97 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EUG, 15 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.