Piper PA-28-180 accident near Oroville, California, September 4, 2009
On September 4, 2009 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N2482R, was destroyed in an accident during initial climb near Oroville, California (Oroville Municiple Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 4, 2009 · about 5:45 pm local time · cases in 2009
- Place
- Oroville, California · Oroville Municiple Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N2482R · no longer on the register · serial 28-5632
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during initial climb he felt three "bumps" in the airframe. The pilot then initiated a left 180-degree turn towards the departure runway. He stated that the engine was running, but not producing power. As the descent continued, the engine began to "sputter" and lose power. Subsequently, the airplane struck two fences and landed hard. During the landing roll the airplane impacted a large ditch and came to rest upright, where a postcrash fire consumed the fuselage and right wing. Examination of the recovered airframe and engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during initial climb
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Fire/smoke (post-impact) during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,150 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,100 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 21, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,060 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2008; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: OVE Oroville CA
- Destination: O05 Chester CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from OVE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on October 14, 2009. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Wreckage Examination Memo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 1: View of the Main Wreckage. Courtesy of Faeth Aircraft Parts. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N2482R: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Piper PA-28 Cherokee, Warrior, Archer and Arrow 18,639 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,848 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 SER · as the NTSB recorded it
- Oroville Municipal · nearest airport
- Rogers Field · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,069 since 1982 · 1,087 in the last ten years
- California 27,686 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR09LA431.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.