Piper PA-28-235 accident near Albany, Oregon, July 7, 2013
On July 7, 2013 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 1963 Piper PA-28-235, registered N8606W, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Albany, Oregon (Albany Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of hydraulic fluid, which rendered the brakes ineffective. The reason for the loss of hydraulic fluid could not be determined based on the available evidence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 7, 2013 · about 8:30 pm local time · cases in 2013
- Place
- Albany, Oregon · Albany Municipal Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-235, built 1963 · all PA-28-235s on the register
- Registration
- N8606W · no longer on the register · serial 28-10121
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during the landing rollout, he applied the brakes but that the airplane failed to stop. The airplane continued about 2,600 ft down the runway, departed the runway surface, and impacted a chain link fence. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the brake hydraulic fluid reservoir was empty, and an elbow fitting on the right main landing gear brake assembly hydraulic line was found broken; it could not be determined when the elbow fitting broke. The lack of hydraulic fluid rendered the brakes ineffective.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › (general) › (general) › Failure other cases naming the other and general
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Hydraulic fluid › Fluid level other cases naming the other and general
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: September 15, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,827 hours
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LVK Lakeview OR at 7:00 pm
- Destination: S12 Albany OR
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 34, 3,004 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 9 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 8:35 pm from CVO, 13 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
4 documents, released by the NTSB on September 15, 2015. 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 | Record of Conversation Bennett | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Letter of Record - FAA Findings | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo 1- Right Wing Damage | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 2 – Broken Brake Assembly Elbow Fitting | 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
- N8606W: 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-540 SERIES 5,245 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Albany Municipal · nearest airport
- Livermore Municipal · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Oregon 1,864 since 1982 · 279 in the last ten years
- Oregon 7,012 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR13LA322.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.