Varga 2150A accident near Burns, Oregon, October 10, 1993
On October 10, 1993 at about 3:05 pm local time, a Varga 2150A, registered N5074V, was destroyed in an accident near Burns, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
POOR IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION AND AN INADVERTENT STALL/SPIN. A FACTOR TO THE ACCIDENT WAS AN EXCESSIVE PULL-UP.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 10, 1993 · about 3:05 pm local time
- Place
- Burns, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Varga 2150A
- Registration
- N5074V · no longer on the register · serial VAC-63-76
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE MANEUVERING OVER THE AIRSTRIP AT LOW LEVEL AND HIGH SPEED, WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE SUDDENLY PULL NEARLY STRAIGHT UP AND HOLD A HIGH ANGLE OF ATTACK UNTIL THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT CLIMB ANY FURTHER. THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE THEN DROPPED AND IT STARTED A SPIN TO THE LEFT. THE AIRPLANE REMAINED IN THIS ATTITUDE UNTIL COLLISION WITH THE TERRAIN. NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND TO INDICATE A MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION.
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: 302 hours in all; 42 in this make and model; 258 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 23, 1993
- Maximum gross weight: 1,817 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:48 pm from BNO, 70 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N5074V 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.