Piper PA-28-161 accident near Lakeview, Oregon, July 21, 1995
On July 21, 1995 at about 9:28 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N83125, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lakeview, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain clearance with terrain while his attention was directed to reading his map. The pilot's intentional low-altitude operation of the aircraft contributed to the accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 21, 1995 · about 9:28 pm local time
- Place
- Lakeview, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N83125 · no longer on the register · serial 28-8316022
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While conducting sightseeing activities at 50 to 100 feet above ground level, the pilot became concerned about entering a nearby national wildlife refuge and began to look at his map. While the pilot and passenger were looking at the map, the airplane impacted the ground. Post-accident toxicology testing at a local hospital detected the presence of butalbital (323 ng/ml), codeine (1,260 ng/ml), and morphine (960 ng/ml) in the pilot's urine.
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: 382 hours in all; 75 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 314 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,323 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 3, 1995; 41 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BOI Boise ID at 5:30 pm
- Destination: LKV OR
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:33 pm from LKV, 30 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.