Piper PA-36-300 accident near Lexington, Oregon, April 22, 2000
On April 22, 2000, a Piper PA-36-300, registered N82698, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lexington, Oregon (Sandhollow AG Strip airport). It was a positioning 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 failure to adequately compensate for wind conditions upon encountering a wind shift on takeoff. A factor was variable winds.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 22, 2000
- Place
- Lexington, Oregon · Sandhollow AG Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-36-300 · all PA-36-300s on the register
- Registration
- N82698 · no longer on the register · serial 36-7860014
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After completing aerial application operations for the day, the pilot took off to the north on a private airstrip with an approaching thunderstorm cell and heavy rain in the area. During takeoff, winds in the area shifted to southwesterly at about 20 knots, gusting to 25 knots (a nearby weather observation station reported winds shifting from north-northwesterly at 10 knots at 1800 to southwesterly at 27 knots, gusting to 32 knots, at 1900.) The pilot was unable to maintain directional control and the aircraft ground-looped, collapsing its right main gear and damaging its right wing. The pilot reported that no mechanical failure or malfunction was involved.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,677 hours in all; 1,844 in this make and model; 135 in the last 90 days; 58 in the last 30 days; 4,677 as pilot in command; 330 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,600 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 9, 2000; 135 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,400 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-720-A1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: Lexington OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,000 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 225° at 20 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.