- Date
- August 9, 1991, 15:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sunriver, OR
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N8444SPiper PA-28-181
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910809033299A
- Case key
- 41509
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
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions, which resulted in a failure to maintain runway alignment. The gusty crosswind was a related factor.
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
Upon arrival in the vicinity of the airport the pilot in command commenced a visual approach to runway 18. During her approach she ascertained a strong westerly crosswind. Witnesses reported gusty wind conditions. During the landing flare the pilot failed to maintain adequate directional control and the aircraft began drifting left. The pilot was unable to execute a successful go around before the aircraft collided with a tree 200 feet east of the runway centerline.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8444S
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8290025
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Redwood Aviation, doing business as Let'S Fly, Inc.
- Departed
- LMT · Klamath Falls, OR
- Airport
- S21 · Sunriver, runway 18, 5,500 × 65 ft, asphalt
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
- 38
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 450 total · 40 in this make and model · 50 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 20 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Observed at
- RDM, 27 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.