Piper PA-28-161 accident near Pleasant Hill, Oregon, January 5, 1982
On January 5, 1982, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N8265A, was destroyed in an accident near Pleasant Hill, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 5, 1982
- Place
- Pleasant Hill, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N8265A · no longer on the register · serial 288116037
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLANE TOOKOFF AT 1505 PST ON A LOCAL VFR PLEASURE FLIGHT WITH 4 OCCUPANTS AND ABOUT 48 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD. THE PLANE WAS ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 140 LBS OVER THE MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT LIMIT. AT ABOUT 1622 PST, IT WAS OBSERVED TO BREAK UP IN FLIGHT. SEVERAL WITNESSES REPORTED THE PLANE DIVING OUT OF A CLOUD. MOST REPORTED HEARING SOME TYPE OF EXPLOSIVE SOUND, AND MANY ALSO REPORTED HEARING A HIGH-PITCH WHINING/SCREAMING/REVVING SOUND JUST BEFORE OR AFTER BREAKUP. THE PLANE WAS ESTIMATED TO STILL BE ABOUT 63 LBS OVER THE MAXIMUM WEIGHT LIMIT WHEN IT BROKE UP. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND SCATTERED OVER AN AREA OF MORE THAN 1000 FT. THE HORIZONTAL STABILATORS AND VERTICAL STABILIZER HAD FAILED IN THEIR ROOT AREAS AND SEPARATED. THE RIGHT STABILATOR HAD A DOWNWARD SPANWIZE CAMBER. BOTH WINGS SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE WITH THE OUTBOARD 4 FT ALSO SEPARATING. THE LEADING EDGES OF THE RIGHT AND LEFT INBOARD WING SECTIONS WERE DAMAGED AND MOLDED IN A MANNER THAT ONE CLOSELY MATCHED THE OTHER.
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: 117 hours in all; 27 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 875 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Eugene OR at 3:05 pm
- Destination: Eugene OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 97°F (36°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from EUG, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.