Piper PA-31-350 accident near La Grande, Oregon, January 21, 1995
On January 21, 1995 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-31-350, registered N36PB, was substantially damaged in an accident near La Grande, Oregon (La Grande airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE/CLEARANCE FROM HIGHER TERRAIN THAT WAS LOCATED NEAR THE AIRPORT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: LOW CEILING, FOG, FALSE/INCORRECT INDICATION OF THE NDB, FAILURE OF OTHER PERSONNEL TO PROPERLY ISSUE A NOTAM CONCERNING THE NDB, AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO PROPERLY IDENTIFY THE NAVAID SIGNAL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 21, 1995 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- La Grande, Oregon · La Grande · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N36PB · registry record · serial 31-7405128
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE FLYING THE NDB APPROACH IN IMC, HE NOTED THAT THE IDENTIFYING SIGNAL WAS WEAK AND THE ADF NEEDLE WANDERED. HE CONTINUED THE APPROACH, BUT DID NOT DESCEND BELOW THE MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE OF 4000' MSL. WHEN HE FELT THAT HE WAS OVER THE RUNWAY, HE LOOKED DOWN AND SAW TREES THROUGH THE FOG. IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER, HE FELT THE AIRPLANE HIT SOMETHING. THE PILOT PERFORMED A MISSED APPROACH AND DIVERTED TO ANOTHER AIRPORT, WHERE HE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AN EXAM OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED EVIDENCE THAT IT HAD COLLIDED WITH A TREE. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE NDB WAS OUT OF SERVICE, AND NO NOTAM HAD BEEN ISSUED. THE PARTY RESPONSIBLE FOR REPORTING THE SERVICEABILITY OF THE NDB REPORTED TO THE FSS THAT THE 'BEACON' WAS OUT OF SERVICE. THE FSS INTERPRETED 'BEACON' AS THE 'ROTATING BEACON' ON THE AIRPORT. THE AIRPORT WAS LOCATED IN A VALLEY AT AN ELEVATION OF 2714'. THE NDB APPROACH TO THE AIRPORT WAS FROM THE NORTH. HIGH TERRAIN TO ABOUT 6000' MSL WAS LOCATED TO THE EAST AND WEST OF THE AIRPORT. THE INVESTIGATION DID NOT REVEAL THE EXACT LOCATION OF IMPACT WITH TREE(S).
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,144 hours in all; 152 in this make and model; 166 in the last 90 days; 62 in the last 30 days; 2,095 as pilot in command; 762 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,922 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 12, 1995; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PDT Pendleton OR at 5:45 pm
- Destination: LGD
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: overcast at 300 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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 N36PB 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.