Piper PA34 accident near Castro Verde, Pt, September 15, 2009
On September 15, 2009 at about 7:55 pm local time, a Piper PA34, registered OOTML, was destroyed in an accident near Castro Verde. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under non-U.S. private rules. 3 people were killed.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 15, 2009 · about 7:55 pm local time
- Place
- Castro Verde, Portugal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Piper PA34 220T · all PA34s on the register
- Registration
- OOTML · no longer on the register · serial 3449089
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On September 15, 2009, at 2055 Western European Summer Time, a Piper PA-34-220T, OO-TML, registered to Ben-Air Flight Academy was destroyed upon impact with terrain during a night navigation training flight. The airplane had disappeared from radar and no communication contact could be established. The flight instructor and two students were fatally injured. The wreckage was discovered at 2145 spread over a large area. The investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Government of Portugal. This report is for information purposes only and contains only information released by the Government of Portugal. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Praça Duque de Saldanha, 31 - 4º 1050-094 LISBOA Web: http://www.gpiaa.gov.pt
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Ben-Air Flight Academy N.V.
The flight
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.