Piper PA28R N323MQ

Summary

On 28 February 2018 at about 16:30 local time, a Piper PA28R registered N323MQ, operated by Walla Walla University, was involved in an accident near Milton-Freewater, Oregon, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 February 2018 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Milton-Freewater, Oregon, United States

Coordinates

45.9269, -118.1308

Aircraft

Piper PA28R

Registration

N323MQ

Category

Airplane

Year built

1974

Engines

1

Operator

Walla Walla University

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Walla Walla → Walla Walla

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA18CA145

Nobody was injured.

The pilot receiving instruction’s and flight instructor’s improper decision to enter a canyon surrounded by steep rising terrain and their subsequent failure to maintain clearance from terrain while maneuvering at a low altitude.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor reported that, after conducting flight maneuvers during an instructional flight, he and the pilot receiving instruction proceeded to sightsee around mountainous terrain at 800 to 1,000 ft above ground level. He added that, after the pilot receiving instruction maneuvered around rising terrain, the airplane was moving toward "fairly significant" terrain. The flight instructor reported that "it was assumed" that the airplane had the necessary performance to climb over the rising terrain ahead, but he soon realized that the airplane was in a "box canyon" and would not be able to climb above the rising terrain. The flight instructor took the flight controls, "pitched the aircraft up to stall speed," and the airplane impacted trees. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.