Piper PA-22-160 accident near Pacific City, Oregon, July 15, 1998
On July 15, 1998 at about 2:00 am local time, a Piper PA-22-160, registered N9199D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pacific City, Oregon (Pacific City State 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 improper compensation for wind conditions (landing with a tail wind.) Related factors were tail wind conditions, a short runway, and diminished brake system effectiveness.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 15, 1998 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Pacific City, Oregon · Pacific City State · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-160 · all PA-22-160s on the register
- Registration
- N9199D · no longer on the register · serial 22-6258
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while landing to the northwest on an 1,875-foot-long runway, the wind shifted from a quartering headwind to a tailwind at touchdown. The pilot stated he attempted heavy braking, but that the brakes faded to 'nothing.' He said that he had inadequate runway remaining to stop or to go around with obstacle clearance, so he intentionally swerved the airplane. The airplane then flipped over. An FAA inspector who responded to the scene and examined the aircraft's brakes reported that he found the brakes to be functional. Weather stations in the area reported southerly to southwesterly winds at 5 to 18 knots at the reported time of the accident. The single northeast/southwest runway at the unattended airport can be landed on in either direction, with the runway threshold displaced 300 feet for landings to the southeast.
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: 214 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 26, 1998
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7S3 Hillsboro OR
- Destination: PFC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 1,875 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 11 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,100 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 am from AST, 58 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.