Piper PA-24-250 accident near Camas, Washington, August 3, 2011
On August 3, 2011 at about 11:35 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-250, registered N6297P, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Camas, Washington (Grove Field Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane while maneuvering in the traffic pattern.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 3, 2011 · about 11:35 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Camas, Washington · Grove Field Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N6297P · no longer on the register · serial 24-1408
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was on a visual flight rules cross-country flight over a sparsely populated area and was maneuvering in the traffic pattern for landing. A pilot-rated witness reported that he observed the accident airplane join what appeared to be the left downwind leg of the runway, about 2,000 feet above ground level. The witness reported that shortly after joining the downwind leg, the airplane banked left and continued in a descending left turn, until it impacted up-sloping terrain northeast of the airport. The airplane wreckage was found about one mile from the destination airport. The wreckage and impact signatures were consistent with a loss of airplane control followed by a steep-angle descent before impact with terrain. Postaccident examination of the engine and airframe revealed no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures 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 control in flight during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › (general) › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,483 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 30, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Pendleton OR at 10:25 pm
- Destination: 1W1 Camas WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 07, 2,710 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from KTTD, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on December 14, 2012. 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 | Witness Statement - Reports | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Wreckage Exam Report (4 Embedded Images) | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Retention / Release of Wreckage Form | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Toxicological Report | 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.
Other NTSB records under N6297P the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N6297P: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Piper PA-24 Comanche 2,428 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,848 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 SERIES 5,245 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Grove Field · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Washington 2,709 since 1982 · 358 in the last ten years
- Washington 10,568 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N6297P 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR11FA367.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.