Piper PA 24-250 accident near Hillsboro, Oregon, October 5, 2017
On October 5, 2017 at about 9:20 pm local time, a 1962 Piper PA 24-250, registered N7892P, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Hillsboro, Oregon (Stark'S Twin Oaks Airpark airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student's pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during approach and subsequent exceedance of the critical angle of attack during a go-around, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a subsequent hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's delayed remedial action during the attempted go-around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 5, 2017 · about 9:20 pm local time
- Place
- Hillsboro, Oregon · Stark'S Twin Oaks Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 24-250 250, built 1962 · all PA 24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N7892P · no longer on the register · serial 24-3121
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
As the student pilot was approaching the runway for a practice soft-field, full-stop landing, the airplane descended faster than expected and the nose pitched up. The airplane's airspeed was slow, and the flight instructor called for a go-around. During the go-around, the flight instructor told the student pilot to apply power faster. Subsequently, the airplane exceeded its critical angle of attack and aerodynamically stalled, settled toward the ground, struck the ground hard short of the runway, and then bounced onto the runway, sustaining substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. The accident might have been avoided if the flight instructor had intervened or taken control of the airplane earlier in the sequence.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Landing area undershoot during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Miscellaneous/other during approach (VFR go-around)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,056 hours in all; 168 in this make and model; 131 in the last 90 days; 52 in the last 30 days; 6,288 as pilot in command; 4,953 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 18, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,161 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 1,784 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 9, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,081.9 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 15, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 2,899 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7S3 Hillsboro OR at 8:15 pm
- Destination: 7S3 Hillsboro OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 02, 2,465 ft by 48 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from KHIO, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on October 9, 2020. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Meteorology | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photo | 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.
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.