- Date
- December 30, 1986, 17:15 local (Dec 31, 1986, 01:15 UTC)
- Place
- Gates, OR
- Injuries
- 4 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4116RPiper PA-32-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report March 10, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19861230069869A
- Case key
- 40577
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Analysis
The plt was attempting to land the aircraft at night on an unlit grass airstrip. Prior to reaching the airstrip the plt collided with an apple tree. Both wings were severed from the aircraft and it went inverted before striking the ground in a slightly nose low attitude.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4116R
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-40435
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1A5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Craig Fleshman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 3S2 · Aurora, OR
- Destination
- 6S4 · Gates, OR
- Airport
- 6SY · Davis
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
- 37
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 500 total · 500 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 90° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 36 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.