Buhl LA 1 accident near Cottage Grove, Oregon, May 3, 2015
On May 3, 2015 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 1931 Buhl LA 1, registered N352Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern downwind) near Cottage Grove, Oregon (Cottage Grove State Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power on downwind for landing due to carburetor icing, which resulted in a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 3, 2015 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Cottage Grove, Oregon · Cottage Grove State Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Buhl LA 1 NO SERIES, built 1931 · all LA 1s on the register
- Registration
- N352Y · registry record · serial 141
- 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 he was conducting a high-speed taxi test, during which he did not intend to fly, when the airplane encountered a wind gust and then unexpectedly became airborne. Insufficient runway was available to abort the takeoff, so he decided to continue flight in the traffic pattern and return to land. On the downwind leg, the engine lost power. The pilot continued straight ahead toward an open area, and the right wing impacted a tree during the forced landing. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the formation of carburetor icing at glide and cruise power and serious icing at glide power. The airplane was not equipped with carburetor heat, and it is likely that the loss of engine power was due to carburetor icing.
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 approach (VFR pattern downwind) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 900 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 805 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 13, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 824 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Szekely SR-3-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 61S Cottage Grove OR
- Destination: 61S Cottage Grove OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 3,188 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm from KEUG, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on November 4, 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.