Piper PA-24-260 accident near Bend, Oregon, September 19, 1988
On September 19, 1988 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-260, registered N8765P, was destroyed in an accident near Bend, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. 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
- September 19, 1988 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Bend, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-260 · all PA-24-260s on the register
- Registration
- N8765P · no longer on the register · serial 4215
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT APRX 1239 PDT, WHILE ON AN IFR X-COUNTRY FLT AT 14,000', THE ACFT ENCTRD ICING CONDS. DRG THE NEXT 1.4 HRS, THE PLT CHANGED ALTITUDE IN INCREMENTS, CLIMBING TO 17,000', THEN DESCENDING TO 11,000' TO AVOID ICING. AT APRX 1411 PDT, HE INDCD THE ENG HAD LOST POWER & SUBSEQUENTLY SAID THE PROP WAS WINDMILLING. AT THAT POINT, THE ACFT WAS STILL SOME 20 TO 30 MI FROM THE DESTN. THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO GLIDE TO AN ARPT. DRG AN EMERG LANDING, THE LEFT WING HIT A TREE & THE ACFT CRASHED. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND PSND TO FEED FROM THE RGT TANK, BUT THE RGT TANK HAD NO FUEL REMAINING. ONLY ABOUT 1 QUART OF FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE RGT AUX TANK. THE LEFT TANKS HAD RUPTURED & WERE EMPTY, BUT NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL SPILLING WAS FOUND.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 750 hours in all; 450 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,580 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-E4A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RNO Caldwell ID at 6:57 pm
- Destination: RDM Redmond OR
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Observation at 8:35 pm from RDM, 20 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.