Piper PA-28-151 accident near Lincoln City, Oregon, March 17, 2007
On March 17, 2007 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-151, registered N75194, was destroyed in an accident near Lincoln City, Oregon (Sietz Bay airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
In-flight collision with water for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 17, 2007 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lincoln City, Oregon · Sietz Bay · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-151 · all PA-28-151s on the register
- Registration
- N75194 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7615299
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Debris identified as belonging to the airplane was found washed ashore along a small stretch of Oregon coast line, and the bodies of the pilot and passenger washed ashore several days later. Witnesses reported seeing a low flying airplane that matched the description of the accident airplane maneuvering along the coastline around 1400. The witnesses said the airplane was flying very low and making steep turns over the coastline. No witnesses reported seeing the actual accident occur. The first identified pieces of aircraft debris washed ashore around 1500. The pilot's body washed ashore 4 days later, and the passenger's body washed ashore 6 days later. The airplane wreckage has not been located. The private pilot and single passenger, who was also a private pilot but not current, arrived to a small breakfast fly-in around 1000 in a rented airplane. The airport they flew into was a small, uncontrolled, airport on the Oregon coast that does not have automatic weather observation equipment. Weather reported at an airport 23 miles south of the accident area from 1200 to 1500 consisted of ceilings initially around 400 to 500 feet overcast and improving to 500 feet scattered; 4,100 feet broken by 1550; visibility was between 7 and 10 miles; and there was no precipitation. Numerous AIRMETs were issued for IFR conditions between 0745 and 1423 for the area that the accident aircraft was operating. A study performed by a Safety Board Meteorological Specialist concluded that the probable weather conditions existing at the time and location of the accident was a ceiling of 500 feet with multiple cloud layers above. Tops of the first cloud layer were near 4,000 feet. Flight visibility was zero miles in the clouds and close to 3 miles below the lowest cloud base in mist. Neither pilot held an instrument rating.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 220 hours in all
- Last flight review: June 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
Crew member
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,753 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KS45 Siletz Bay OR at 6:30 pm
- Destination: K4S9 Mulino OR
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 400 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from KNOP, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.