# NTSB WPR09WA042: Piper PA31-350, Bathurst, Australia, Australia, November 7, 2008

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Foreign investigation
- Date: November 7, 2008, 09:30 local (09:30 UTC)
- Place: Bathurst, Australia, Australia
- Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Initial climb: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/120)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 4 fatal
- Status: Led by another country's authority
- NTSB office: Western Pacific Region
- Lead agency: Other
- NTSB case key (mKey): 69477
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR09WA042
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/69477/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR09WA042

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Initial climb: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/120) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 1,074 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/120/sequence.md)

## Factual narrative

On November 7, 2008, approximately 0930 coordinated universal time (UTC), a Piper PA-31-350, Australian registration VH-OPC, shortly after take-off, collided with terrain about three nautical miles north of the Bathurst Airport, New South Wales, Australia. The pilot and three passengers were killed. The investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Australian government. This report is for information purposes only and contains only information released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Australian Transport Safety Bureau P.O. Box 967, Civic Square ACT 2608 15 Mort St., Canberra City, Australian Capital Territory Telephone: +61 2 6274 6471 Fax: +61 2 6274 6434 Internet: www.atsb.gov.au

## Aircraft

- Registration: VH-OPC (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA31-350
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 31-7952082
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Non-U.S., non-commercial
- Operator: Timoth O'Brien
- Registered owner: Timoth O'Brien
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Airport: NSW, Bathurst

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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