Piper PA-25 accident near Creswell, OR
On August 23, 2009, a Piper PA-25 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Creswell, OR. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 23, 2009
- Place
- Creswell, OR
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-25 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 43.941°N, 123.008°W
- NTSB ID
- 20090824X12257
Official records · WPR09FA414
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 23, 2009, about 1625 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-25 (tow airplane), N6353Z, sustained substantial damage following a loss of control and subsequent collision with terrain about 1/2-mile north of the departure end of runway 33 at Hobby Field Airport, Creswell, Oregon. Scotty Air of Creswell operated the tow airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, was killed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight that originated at Hobby Field Airport. The accident occurred shortly after takeoff from the uncontrolled airport with a glider in-tow. In a written report to the Safety Board, the student pilot of the glider in-tow reported that the takeoff roll, lift off, and climb to 200-feet was "normal." He stated that shortly after the glider reached 200-feet he heard a loud bang, and "glanced" over his right shoulder to find the rear door unlatched. As he looked back, he noted that the glider was "…above the normal tow position," and the tow plane was at his 11 o'clock position. The glider pilot stated that he "immediately" pushed the stick forward to maneuver the glider to the proper tow position. The glider pilot noted slack in the tow line, and stated the tow airplane descended below the glider to a point where he lost sight of it. He stated that the tow airplane did not seem to be in distress or out of control, and appeared to be in a 10 degree nose-down attitude prior to release. The glider pilot released
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during takeoff for a glider tow operation. Contributing to the accident were the tow pilot's impairment due to marijuana use and the low altitude of the flight that reduced the time available to recover from an upset.
More accidents in OR
- Cessna T207A, Aug 21, 1986
- Piper PA-28-180, Sep 1, 1984
- Piper PA-28RT-201, Mar 12, 1984
- Piper PA 46-310P, Apr 7, 2017
- Cessna 172, Jun 23, 2012
Browse: Oregon · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
