Cessna 140 accident near Hillsboro, Oregon, August 13, 1997
On August 13, 1997 at about 9:27 pm local time, a Cessna 140, registered N76233, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hillsboro, Oregon (Portland-Hillsboro airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 13, 1997 · about 9:27 pm local time
- Place
- Hillsboro, Oregon · Portland-Hillsboro · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N76233 · no longer on the register · serial 10636
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the landing roll on runway 30, the pilot lost control of the tailwheel-equipped Cessna 140 and departed the left side of the runway, ground looping. He reported that both flight following and the Hillsboro tower advised him of calm winds prior to landing and that during the landing a 'wind gust blew hard to the left.' Wind reports taken at the Hillsboro airport reported calm winds five minutes after the accident as well as throughout the morning and early afternoon hours with the exception of variable winds of 4 and 5 knots at 1350 and 1250 hours respectively. An FAA inspector assigned at the Hillsboro airport reported the weather conditions as a 'sultry day' with calm winds. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunction with the aircraft.
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: 213 hours in all; 173 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 135 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,814 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 3, 1997; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-90-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EUG Eugene OR at 7:30 pm
- Destination: HIO
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 30, 6,600 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; not recorded
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:32 pm from HIO
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.