Piper PA32RT accident near Ashland, Oregon, August 28, 2019
On August 28, 2019 at about 3:50 am local time, a 1978 Piper PA32RT, registered N2228B, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Ashland, Oregon (Grants Pass airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced, hard landing and propeller strike, and his subsequent loss of directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 2019 · about 3:50 am local time
- Place
- Ashland, Oregon · Grants Pass · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA32RT 300T, built 1978 · all PA32RTs on the register
- Registration
- N2228B · no longer on the register · serial 32R-7987039
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during landing, shortly after touchdown, the airplane bounced. The airplane then touched down hard, and the propellers struck the ground. The pilot was unable to maintain directional control, and the airplane exited the runway and came to rest upright on grassy terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The pilot did not report any preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 100 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,219.6 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 18, 2019
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-SlAD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HIO Portland OR
- Destination: S03 Ashland OR
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 31, 4,001 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 6:35 am
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on March 10, 2020. 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 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo | PDF, 2 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.