Piper PA-28-140 accident near Grand Ronde, Oregon, October 15, 2004
On October 15, 2004 at about 1:00 am local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N454FL, was destroyed in an accident near Grand Ronde, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from high terrain while maneuvering. A factor contributing to the accident was the high terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 15, 2004 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Grand Ronde, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N454FL · no longer on the register · serial 28-7125249
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot, accompanied by his two passengers, departed on a local flight with the intention of returning in two hours. After the aircraft failed to return, search and rescue operations began. The aircraft was located the following afternoon in a dense forested area approximately 32 miles southwest of its destination. A witness who was hunting in the general vicinity on the day of the accident observed the airplane approach from the south and circle the area to the northwest in a deliberate manner. The witness was concerned about the airplane's low altitude over the hilly terrain and noted, "...it looked very slow, almost at stall speed, with the tail lower than the front of the airplane." The witness listened for any indication of engine trouble, "...but it was smooth and powerful." The witness observed the airplane disappear over some trees to the east, and about 10 to 15 minutes later it returned overhead, proceeding east again until it was out of sight. The witness found out later that the airplane he observed was the same one which had crashed. Examination of the aircraft revealed no anomalies which would preclude normal operations.
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: 111 hours in all; 42 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: October 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,070 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 1, 2004; 1,430 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: MMV Mcminnville OR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 040° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.