Aviat A-1B accident near Owyhee, Oregon, August 27, 2006
On August 27, 2006 at about 8:26 pm local time, a Aviat A-1B, registered N94HY, was substantially damaged in an accident near Owyhee, Oregon (Owyhee Reservoir State airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot inadvertently landing with the parking brake engaged, which resulted in a nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 27, 2006 · about 8:26 pm local time
- Place
- Owyhee, Oregon · Owyhee Reservoir State · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aviat A-1B
- Registration
- N94HY · registry record · serial 2297
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot completed 3-4 water ski runs (a maneuver accomplished by setting the aircraft's parking brake, touching down on the water, and skiing on the main landing gear tires) and was transitioning to the airport for a full-stop landing. The pilot reported that when the airplane touched down he felt the right main tire drag and initially attributed it to the soft runway condition; however, the airplane's tail "came up" and the airplane nosed over. The pilot later reported that he failed to release the parking brake after completing the maneuvers and inadvertently landed with the brake set. The airplane was equipped with an AmSafe Aviation Inflatable Restraint (AAIR) system, which did not inflate/deploy during the accident sequence. Post accident examination and testing of the system revealed no anomalies that would have prevented the system from functioning properly; and it is believed that the airplane did not sustain sufficient g-forces during the accident sequence to activate the system.
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; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 3,072 hours in all; 177 in this make and model; 48 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 3,020 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 217 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2006; 151 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ONO Ontario OR at 6:54 pm
- Destination: 28U Owyhee OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 1,840 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- 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.