Cessna T207 A accident near Merlin, Oregon, April 9, 2003
On April 9, 2003 at about 3:50 pm local time, a Cessna T207 A, registered N9785M, was destroyed in an accident near Merlin, Oregon. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from mountainous terrain while in cruise flight. Factors include low ceilings and mountainous terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 9, 2003 · about 3:50 pm local time
- Place
- Merlin, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Cessna T207 A · all T207 As on the register
- Registration
- N9785M · no longer on the register · serial 20700729
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country flight from North Bend, Oregon, to Grants Pass, Oregon, the airplane collided with mountainous terrain approximately seven miles northwest of the pilot's planned destination. Weather data and witness reports outlined areas of low ceilings and low visibility throughout the area during the approximate time of the accident. Post-accident inspection of the aircraft and engine revealed no evidence of a mechanical malfunction or failure.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 34,976 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,516 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 6, 2003
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: OTH North Bend OR at 3:15 pm
- Destination: 3S8 Grants Pass OR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,900 ft; a few clouds at 100 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 3:47 pm from KSXT, 6 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.