Piper PA-28-180 accident near Oxford, Iowa, April 7, 2017
On April 7, 2017 at about 8:07 pm local time, a 1966 Piper PA-28-180, registered N9179J, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near Oxford, Iowa. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot receiving instruction to recover from the practice stall before the airplane entered a spin and the flight instructor's inadequate monitoring of the pilot receiving instruction and delayed remedial action to recover the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 7, 2017 · about 8:07 pm local time
- Place
- Oxford, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180, built 1966 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N9179J · no longer on the register · serial 28-3245
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot had not flown in several years and was receiving instruction from a flight instructor. Radar data indicated that the pilots were performing ground reference maneuvers during the flight. The data showed that the airplane maintained an altitude of 3,400 ft mean sea level, about 2,600 ft above ground level, before it made a left turn and entered a rapid descent. A witness reported that he heard the engine popping and backfiring, and it appeared as if the airplane wasn't moving forward. According to the witness, the nose of the airplane then dropped, and the airplane entered a spiral and completed eight or nine rotations, before it entered a straight nose-down dive that continued to impact A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction. It is likely that the private pilot was practicing a stall from which he did not recover before the airplane entered a spin. In addition, had the instructor been appropriately monitoring the private pilot's actions he would have been able to provide remedial action to recover from the stall/spin.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other person › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,475.3 hours in all
- Last flight review: May 26, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Last flight review: April 7, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (waiver time limited special)
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,652.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 6, 2017
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A3A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Green Castle Aero Club LTD
The flight
- Departed from: IA24 Oxford IA at 7:49 pm
- Destination: IA24 Oxford IA
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 7:52 pm from IOW, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
12 documents, released by the NTSB on June 19, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wreckage Examination | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | radar Tracks | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Iowa State Police Wreckage Diagram | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 5 | CFI Logbook Excerpt | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Aircraft Flight Manual | PDF, 25 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Weight and Balance Information | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Maintenance Information | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Toxicological Reports | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 10 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 11 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 12 | Photos | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.