Amateur-built Ridge Runner II accident near Mulino, Oregon, November 29, 2008
On November 29, 2008 at about 8:36 pm local time, a amateur-built Ridge Runner II, registered N825PB, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Mulino, Oregon (Portland-Mulino airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to attain an adequate airspeed that resulted in a stall/mush during the initial climb. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's lack of experience in this make and model airplane and the improper adjustment of the propeller pitch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 29, 2008 · about 8:36 pm local time
- Place
- Mulino, Oregon · Portland-Mulino · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Ridge Runner II
- Registration
- N825PB · registry record · serial 722811
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had recently purchased the amateur-built experimental airplane and received operating limitations from the Federal Aviation Administration for flight testing of the airplane. On the day of the accident, the pilot first performed taxi tests and then began taking off, climbing to about 10 feet above the ground, reducing power and landing back on the runway. The pilot completed a few of these runs and then taxied back onto the runway for another run. He advanced the throttle and noted that the tachometer only went to 4,000 rpm. The airplane lifted off the runway and climbed to about 150 feet above the ground. The pilot said it would not "climb higher or speed up." The airspeed was reading about 45 to 50 knots. The pilot started looking for a place to land and seeing obstacles ahead and to the left, he executed a shallow right turn back towards the airfield. The airplane stalled without notice and the pilot was not able to recover prior to ground impact. The airplane came to rest in a nose down position in a flat grassy field. The engine was displaced rearward, and the forward portion of the fuselage was crushed and compressed aft. The pilot reported that he had accumulated 240.7 hours total flight time of which 0 hours were in the accident make and model airplane. Following the accident, the propeller was found to be in "high pitch preventing the engine from turning up to more than 4,000 rpm, limiting the horsepower."
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
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Loss of control in flight during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience w/ equipment › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Propeller system › Propeller assembly › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Modification/alteration › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 241 hours in all; 13 in the last 90 days; 180 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 18, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, August 31, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 950 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503DCDI (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4S9 Mulino OR at 8:35 pm
- Destination: 4S9 Mulino OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 3,425 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.43 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from UAO, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 N825PB 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.