Piper PA 28-180 accident near Bend, Oregon, October 10, 2014
On October 10, 2014 at about 2:15 pm local time, a 1974 Piper PA 28-180, registered N32150, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Bend, Oregon (Bend Municipal 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 partial loss of engine power due to carburetor icing, which resulted from the pilot’s failure to apply carburetor heat after takeoff and during the climb.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 10, 2014 · about 2:15 pm local time
- Place
- Bend, Oregon · Bend Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 28-180, built 1974 · all PA 28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N32150 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7505029
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported that, about 4 to 5 minutes after takeoff for the personal flight and while climbing to 6,000 ft mean sea level (msl), the engine started to "shake and roll," and the rpm reduced from about 2,400 to 1,800 rpm. The pilot then reversed course to return to the airport. The pilot turned on the carburetor heat and enriched the fuel mixture, which did not restore full engine power. The rpm then dropped to between about 1,300 and 1,200, which was insufficient to maintain altitude. As the pilot approached the airport, he realized that the airplane was not going to reach the runway, so he executed an off-airport landing, during which the landing gear and the right wing separated from the fuselage. A postaccident examination of the engine and fuel system did not reveal any mechanical anomalies or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. Weather conditions from the surface to 10,000 ft msl were conducive to the accumulation of moderate-to-severe carburetor icing. Therefore, it is likely that carburetor ice accumulated during the climb, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power. It is likely that the pilot's delayed use of carburetor heat was insufficient to clear the ice before the return to the airport.
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 (partial) during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Ice/rain protection system › Intake anti › ice, deice › Not used/operated
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 375 hours in all; 327 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 315 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 20, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,579 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 4, 2014; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 3,579 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KBDN Bend OR at 2:10 pm
- Destination: KBDN Bend OR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 2:15 pm from KBDN, 1 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
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.