Piper PA-60-601P accident near Lakeview, Oregon, March 4, 1989
On March 4, 1989 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-60-601P, registered CFHGH, was destroyed in an accident near Lakeview, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH RESULTED IN A SPIN AND AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: IMPROPER MAINTENENCE BY THE PILOT, AN AUTOPILOT MALFUNCTION, THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, CONTINUED FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND HIS LACK OF RECENT INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 4, 1989 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lakeview, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-60-601P · all PA-60-601Ps on the register
- Registration
- CFHGH · no longer on the register · serial 61P082981634
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE EN ROUTE, THE PLT ENCTRD HEADWINDS & TRACE RIME ICING. HE MADE A CLIMB FROM 17,000 FT TO FLT 190, THEN TO FL 210. AFTER CRUISING AT FL 210 FOR ABOUT 27 MIN, THE ACFT ENTERED A DSCNT (W/O ATC CLNC). RADIO & RADAR CONTACT WERE LOST IN THE VCNTY OF WERE THE ACFT CRASHED. JUST BEFORE IMPACT, THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED TO DSCND OUT OF LOW CLOUDS IN A SPIN. THE PLT HAD BEEN ISSUED A CANADIAN INSTRUMENT RATING ON 1/11/88, BUT IT WAS VALID FOR ONLY 12 MOS. A PERSON, WHO HAD GIVEN THE PLT PROFICIENCY FLT TRAINING IN PREPARATION FOR AN INSTRUMENT QUALIFICATION CHECK, REPORTED THAT HE HAD RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE PLT'S ABILITY TO FLY IN INSTRUMENT CONDITIONS WITHOUT AN AUTOPLT. AVIONICS PERSONNEL AT THE DEPARTURE ARPT RPRTD THE PLT HAD ENCTRD AN AUTOPLT MALFUNCTION ON THE PREVIOUS FLT & THAT THEY HAD FOUND AN ELEC SHORT IN THE AUTOPLT DISCONNECT SW ON THE COPLT CTL YOKE. HOWEVER, THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPAIR IT DUE TO LACK OF A REPLACEMENT PART. RPRTDLY, THE PLT BARROWED A SOLDERING IRON TO REPAIR IT HIMSELF.
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: foreign licence, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,300 hours in all; 108 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,297 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 2, 1988; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-S1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PDX Portland OR at 6:40 pm
- Destination: RNO Reno NV
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:30 pm from LKV, 7 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under CFHGH the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.