Piper PA-22-150 accident near Canyonville, Oregon, August 30, 2009
On August 30, 2009 at about 4:27 pm local time, a Piper PA-22-150, registered N2967P, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Canyonville, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The non-instrument-rated and non-certificated pilot’s decision to continue visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions in mountainous terrain, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 30, 2009 · about 4:27 pm local time
- Place
- Canyonville, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-150 · all PA-22-150s on the register
- Registration
- N2967P · no longer on the register · serial 22-3241
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-instrument-rated and non-certificated pilot was flying along a 49-mile route, which paralleled a major interstate highway. Mountainous terrain was located within a few miles of the highway, and, in the accident site area, mountains rose to 3,300 feet mean sea level (msl). While flying about 0.7 miles west of the highway, the pilot collided with a mountain at 2,400 feet msl. Near the departure airport, about 23 miles northwest of the accident site, the base of the overcast ceiling was between 2,000 and 2,200 feet msl. Witnesses located about 1 mile north of the crash site reported that the mountaintop south of their position was not visible at the time of the accident due to the cloud coverage. The wreckage and ground scar signatures were consistent with a level-flight impact into the terrain. Thus, it is likely that the pilot, while attempting to fly just below the clouds, encountered instrument meteorological conditions and lost visual reference to the mountainous terrain.
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
What happened, in order
- VFR encounter with IMC during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during enroute (cruise)
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Low ceiling › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Below VFR minima › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Mountainous/hilly terrain › Contributed to outcome
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 5S1 Roseburg OR at 4:02 pm
- Destination: 3S8 Grants Pass OR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,700 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from RBG, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.