Piper PA-28-140 accident near Hillsboro, Oregon, April 30, 2000
On April 30, 2000 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N4413X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hillsboro, Oregon (Stark'S Twin Oaks Airpark 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
An inadequately planned approach. Misjudging distance/altitude and improper remedial action were factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 30, 2000 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Hillsboro, Oregon · Stark'S Twin Oaks Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N4413X · no longer on the register · serial 28-7625028
- 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 his first attempt to land was aborted because he thought that he was too high. During the second attempt, while on final approach, the airplane began to sink after passing over an open field. The pilot stated that he would have used power to correct, however, he thought that he already had enough airspeed and just pulled the nose up, hoping to get a few feet of altitude and reduced airspeed. The aircraft touched down short of the runway and collided with a dirt bank.
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: 354 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 3 in the last 30 days; 126 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,307 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 30, 2000; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S47 Tillamook OR at 6:30 pm
- Destination: 7S3
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 2, 2,465 ft by 25 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°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.