Piper PA-28-161 accident near Big Pine, California, December 21, 2006
On December 21, 2006 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N9141Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Big Pine, California. 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 inadequate in-flight/planning decision of both pilots to fly up a box canyon at low altitude, and their failure to maintain clearance from the terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 21, 2006 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Big Pine, California
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N9141Y · no longer on the register · serial 28-8616014
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certified flight instructor (CFI) and the pilot under instruction (PUI) were going on a series of cross-country flights to allow the PUI to build flight time. Motorists observed the wreckage near a road that was in the flat bottom of a canyon whose floor width varied from an estimated 50 yards at the narrowest point to 200 yards at the widest point. The canyon made several left and right turns as it wound its way uphill in a general southeasterly direction. The canyon sides appeared to be several hundred feet higher than the accident site elevation and the rim appeared to be about 100 feet higher at the head of the canyon. An evaluation of the ground scars and impact signatures on the wreckage disclosed that the airplane was in a left turn attempting to reverse course out of the box canyon when the left wing tip dug into the ground. The airplane then tumbled so that it was pointing down canyon when it came to rest. No evidence of a mechanical failure or malfunction was noted during the post accident inspection.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,800 hours in all
- Last flight review: March 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 95 hours in all
- Last flight review: April 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,908 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 2,440 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BIH Bishop CA at 8:40 pm
- Destination: Undetermined
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 pm from BIH, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N9141Y the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.