Piper PA31-350 accident near Bathurst, Australia, Au, November 7, 2008
On November 7, 2008 at about 9:30 am local time, a Piper PA31-350, registered VHOPC, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Bathurst, Australia (Bathurst airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under non-U.S. private rules. 4 people were killed.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 7, 2008 · about 9:30 am local time
- Place
- Bathurst, Australia, Australia · Bathurst
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Piper PA31-350 · all PA31-350s on the register
- Registration
- VHOPC · no longer on the register · serial 31-7952082
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On November 7, 2008, approximately 0930 coordinated universal time (UTC), a Piper PA-31-350, Australian registration VH-OPC, shortly after take-off, collided with terrain about three nautical miles north of the Bathurst Airport, New South Wales, Australia. The pilot and three passengers were killed. The investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Australian government. This report is for information purposes only and contains only information released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Australian Transport Safety Bureau P.O. Box 967, Civic Square ACT 2608 15 Mort St., Canberra City, Australian Capital Territory Telephone: +61 2 6274 6471 Fax: +61 2 6274 6434 Internet: www.atsb.gov.au
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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during initial climb defining event
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.