Aero Commander 680 accident near North Bend, Oregon, June 1, 1995
On June 1, 1995 at about 10:54 pm local time, a Aero Commander 680, registered N6877S, was destroyed in an accident near North Bend, Oregon (North Bend Municipal airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT INITIATING FLIGHT INTO WEATHER CONDITIONS BEYOND WHAT HE WAS CAPABLE OF HANDLING. THE PILOT'S OVERCONFIDENCE IN HIS PERSONAL ABILITY AND THE LOW CEILING WERE FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 1, 1995 · about 10:54 pm local time
- Place
- North Bend, Oregon · North Bend Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 680 · all 680s on the register
- Registration
- N6877S · no longer on the register · serial 680-462-132
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
APPROXIMATELY TWO MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF, WITNESSES SAW THE AIRPLANE PULL UP SHARPLY INTO A STEEP CLIMB FROM UNDERNEATH AN 800-FOOT CEILING. THE AIRPLANE WENT INTO AN UNCONTROLLED, NEARLY VERTICAL DIVE AND IMPACTED INTO A RIVER. THE PILOT DID NOT HOLD MULTI-ENGINE OR INSTRUMENT RATINGS. INDIVIDUALS WHO KNEW THE PILOT, INCLUDING AN INSTRUCTOR WHO HAD FLOWN WITH HIM, STATED THAT THEY HAD DOUBTED THE PILOT'S COMPETENCE BUT THAT THE PILOT HAD BEEN CONFIDENT OF HIS OWN FLYING ABILITY.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,450 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (expired)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,785 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 18, 1995
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming GSO-480-B1A6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OTH at 10:52 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 18 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from OTH, 1 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA95FA111.