- Date
- July 2, 1989, 20:00 local (Jul 3, 1989, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- Elgin, OR
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6941BPiper PA-22-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 16, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890702019409A
- Case key
- 40927
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Failure of the pilot to obtain/maintain adequate airspeed during takeoff/initial climb, which resulted in a stall. Factors related to the accident were: quartering tailwind, high density altitude, and the pilot's lack of recent experience in the aircraft.
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 pilot made a southerly takeoff from his short/uneven grass airstrip in high density altitude weather conditions. The aircraft was loaded near its maximum gross weight with 3 occupants aboard. According to witnesses, it stalled at low altitude. Subsequently, it impacted the ground in a steep nose down attitude & burned. About 23 mi south at la grande, OR, the wind was calm; witnesses at the accident site indicated the wind was from the northwest at 5 to 10 KTS. The density altitude was estimated to be 4100 ft. the pilot had flown 2:15 hours in the previous 9 months.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6941B
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-4221
- Airframe hours
- 1,752
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Miles B. Bates
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 15, 1987 · 28 hours before
- Airport
- runway 16, 1,300 × 30 ft, grass/turf
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
- 69
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 195 total · 193 in this make and model · 148 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
- Observed at
- LGD, 23 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.