Friday, October 07, 2022

Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee, N7063R: Fatal accident occurred September 22, 2022 in Sisters, Oregon

Family of pilot killed in Jefferson Wilderness must pay to remove plane debris





The family of a Washington man who died in a plane crash deep in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness say they’re facing a $25,000 to $50,000 bill to remove the plane’s debris from a steep mountainside far from any road.

Wayne Wirt, 67, of Chehalis, Washington, died about 4:15 p.m. September 22 when his Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee crashed just south of Mount Jefferson on a high peak during a solo flight between California and Washington.

Wirt, who built movie sets in southern California before retiring to Chehalis years ago, leaves behind a wife and three children who now bear the cost of paying to have the plane’s debris removed from a location that’s extremely difficult to access.

“This heavy cost falls on (the) family to cover,” wrote April Winters, Wayne’s daughter-in-law, on a GoFundMe page set up to help raise the money.

She said the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Linn County Sheriff's Office are looking into what caused the crash.


Pilot Wayne Wirt, left, of Chehalis, Washington, died in a plane crash in late September in Mount Jefferson Wilderness.  
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This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

Investigator In Charge (IIC): Stein, Stephen

The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entities: 
Dee Rice; Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Portland, Oregon 
Piper Aircraft Company; Vero Beach, Florida
Lycoming Engines; Williamsport, Pennsylvania 

Location: Sisters, Oregon
Accident Number: WPR22FA354
Date and Time: September 22, 2022, 14:39 Local
Registration: N7063R
Aircraft: Piper PA-28-140 Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

On September 22, 2022, about 1439 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, N7063R, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Sisters, Oregon. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot used an online flight planning tool for his enroute and destination performance planning. Data retrieved from the online tool showed that the pilot had planned to depart a private strip in Llano, California about 0700 and then fly a succession of waypoints and fuel stops while enroute to his final destination of Curtis, Washington (0WA2). The data did not include any flight tracking information such as global position system coordinates. His planned route of flight comprised the following waypoints (in the reported order): Rosamond, California (L00), Sanger, California (9CA7) followed by a stopover in Jackson, California (JAQ). Fuel records from the JAQ airport showed that the pilot purchased 25 gallons of 100 low lead aviation grade gasoline at 0953. The pilot’s subsequent waypoints included Nevada County, California (GOO) followed by Sisters, Oregon (6K5) where the pilot purchased another 29 gallons of fuel at 1400. According to an airport surveillance video, the pilot departed 6K5 about 1410. He had planned to fly through Scappoose, Oregon prior to landing at his final destination.

A witness located about 0.50 nm north of the accident site heard the airplane during its final moments. The witness reported that between 1430 and 1445 she heard a small airplane that was flying close to her that caught her attention. She heard a “thud” sound approximately 30 seconds later at which point she began to look for the airplane. The witness stated that the engine sounded smooth and continuous prior to impact. Another witness, who was located about 1,000 ft from the accident site, stated that he heard the airplane impact the ground about 1439.

According to both witnesses, the ground visibility was low due to thick fog at the time of the accident.

The airplane came to rest on a 60° slope on the northeast side of South Cinder Peak in the Jefferson Wilderness at a field elevation of about 6,500 ft mean sea level. All four corners of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site. The first point of impact (FPI) was about 500 ft from the top of the peak and was marked by a large ground scar about 6 feet wide. The main wreckage was located down the hill about 20 ft northeast of the FPI and was comprised of both wings, the fuselage and empennage. The engine was collocated with the FPI.

The right and left ailerons were attached to their respective wings, which remained attached at the carry through spar. Both wing leading edge surfaces were crushed chordwise and the leading edge skin forward of the fuel tanks exhibited evidence of hydraulic deformation. The right and left wingtips had separated from their respective wings. The airplane fuselage and cabin were crushed beneath the wings and could not be identified due to their orientation at the accident site. The empennage was inverted, which exposed the anti-servo tab and both stabilators. The vertical stabilizer and rudder assembly were crushed, but remained partially attached to the empennage. Several airframe fragments were distributed along the slope of the peak, below the main wreckage.

The wreckage has been retained for further examination.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Piper 
Registration: N7063R
Model/Series: PA-28-140 
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built:
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: IMC 
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KRDM,3084 ft msl 
Observation Time: 13:56 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 34 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 21°C /6°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 13 knots / , 310°
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.11 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Sisters, OR (6K5)
Destination: Curtis, WA (0WA2)

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries:
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries:
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal 
Latitude, Longitude: 44.569412,-121.80544 (est)

Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation may contact them by email witness@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov. You can also call the NTSB Response Operations Center at 844-373-9922 or 202-314-6290.

Fisher Celebrity, N655WP: Accident occurred October 06, 2022 near Piedmont Triad International Airport (KGSO), Greensboro, Guilford County, North Carolina

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Greensboro, North Carolina

Aircraft crashed under unknown circumstances. 


Date: 06-OCT-22
Time: 20:19:00Z
Regis#: N655WP
Aircraft Make: FISHER
Aircraft Model: CELEBRITY
Event Type: ACCIDENT
Highest Injury: MINOR
Flight Crew: 1 Minor Injuries
Pax: 0
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: DESTROYED
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: UNKNOWN (UNK)
Operation: 91
City: GREENSBORO
State: NORTH CAROLINA



Wesley Parker is OK after his plane crashed into a Greensboro neighborhood.





GREENSBORO, North Carolina — Wesley Parker has a lot of experience flying. He’s been doing it for 50 years.

When his small single-engine plane went down Thursday afternoon in a Greensboro neighborhood, he said those years of experience kicked into gear.

“I was surprised I walked away from it,” Parker said.

The veteran pilot survived after crashing between two homes on Birkdale Drive.

“It started out just doing some practice flights at the Piedmont Triad International Airport, and I took off - everything was normal. I was flying around. I was about halfway around, coming in for landing again, and the engine stumbled a little bit and caught my ear, and I was like what was that?” Parker said.

He said about 20 seconds later, his engine quit.

“So, I went through all of my emergency procedures, as you’re supposed to do. I checked my fuel. I checked if the fuel pumps were on. I checked everything out and actually got it to restart, and it ran for probably 30 seconds and then it quit again,” Parker said.

The starting and stopping continued a few more times. Parker went through his emergency procedures each time.

“The last time it restarted, just before it hit the trees, and maybe a couple seconds at the most, all of my training started to kick in, and you’re supposed to fly the airplane; you don’t quit flying it until it can’t fly anymore, you fly it all the way into the ground - and that’s what I did. I flew it all the way down and once I got into the trees, it was still kind of out of control at that point,” Parker explained.

Parker said he was in the air for only a couple of minutes, maybe four.

He said this flight was a test run to make sure he could go on a much longer trip.

“I was getting ready to ferry the airplane across country, and so I wanted to make sure there were no problems,” he said.

Parker said that trip won’t be happening now.

The plane landed between two homes. It broke a window and damaged some siding on one of the houses. Parker said he’s glad no one was hurt.

“You try to aim for the space between the two houses and that’s what I got,” he said.

Parker said there wasn’t any time to be scared.

“I have a lot of people asked me if it scared me and I said no. I was just thinking about it all the way until I hit, and I was just thinking about it - fly the airplane, fly the airplane,” he said.

Parker said his airplane is likely a total loss, but he’s thankful he’s OK.

“I got a couple of scrapes on my leg. I got a couple of scrapes on my back - I think it was from tree branches, but I’m doing good. I’ve been walking around. How can I argue?” he said.

Despite the crash, this aviator isn’t done taking to the skies just yet.

“Not even for a minute…I had this belief that when your time is up, it’s up and you can be sitting at home in your living room, and you are going to die or you can go out and live life,” Parker said.

The FAA and NTSB are investigating the crash. No neighbors were hurt.

Cessna 172P Skyhawk, N97883: Fatal accident occurred October 06, 2022 at Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport (KPHF), Virginia

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident.

Investigator In Charge (IIC): Read, Leah

Additional Participating Entities: 
Jay Venable; Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Richmond, Virginia
Textron Lycoming; Atlanta, Georgia
Textron Aviation; Lakeland, Florida 


Location: Newport News, Virginia
Accident Number: ERA23FA008
Date and Time: October 6, 2022, 15:07 Local Registration: N97883
Aircraft: Cessna 172
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 2 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Instructional

On October 6, 2022, at 1507 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172, N97883, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport (PHF), Newport News, Virginia. The flight instructor was fatally injured, and the student pilot and the pilot rated passenger were seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight.

A review of airport surveillance video revealed that after the airplane departed runway 20, it entered a steep (nose-high) pitch attitude. The airplane began to turn left while in this nose-high attitude and reached an altitude of about 50-100 ft before it made a descending left-hand turn and impacted terrain west of the runway.

A witness, who was a flight instructor, was taxing south on taxiway alpha when he observed the accident airplane in a “crazy” nose-high pitch attitude (about 30 degrees nose up) on takeoff. The airplane reached a height of about 200 ft above the ground, when the left wing stalled and dropped. The witness thought the instructor of the accident airplane tried to recover from the stall because the airplane’s wings leveled out momentarily before the left wing dropped again, and the airplane hit the ground on its belly. The witness described what he observed as a “power on stall.”

The airplane came to rest in a drainage ditch on a magnetic heading of about 090 degrees. All major components of the airplane were located at the accident site and there was no postimpact fire. Flight control continuity was established for all major flight control surfaces to the cockpit. The flaps were in the fully retracted position, and the elevator trim tab actuator was found in the 5-degree tab up position. 

The airplane wreckage was retained for further examination.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna 
Registration: N97883
Model/Series: 172P 
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built:
Operator: 
Operating Certificate(s) Held: Pilot school (141)
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: VMC 
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: PHF,42 ft msl
Observation Time: 14:54 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 24°C /10°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 7 knots / , 270°
Lowest Ceiling: 
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 30 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Newport News, VA
Destination: Newport News, VA

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 Serious 
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal, 2 Serious 
Latitude, Longitude: 37.131889,-76.492972

Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation may contact them by email witness@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov. You can also call the NTSB Response Operations Center at 844-373-9922 or 202-314-6290. 





Congratulations, to Hampton University's Viktoria Ljungman. Initial Certified Flight Instructor. -Rick Aviation Inc




NEWPORT NEWS, Virginia (WAVY) – A small plane crashed Thursday afternoon at Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport, killing the flight instructor on board, Virginia State Police confirmed.

The Cessna 172P Skyhawk crashed around 3:05 p.m. Our 10 On Your Side investigative team confirmed it is owned by Rick Aviation, a flight school in Newport News.

In a news release from the Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport, officials say the aircraft crashed into the woods upon take-off.

State Police added that the plane reached an altitude of approximately 100 feet, veered off course and crashed into the embankment adjacent to the runway.

Three people were on board the plane when it crashed. Police say the plane was piloted by a student, 18-year-old Oluwagbohunmi Ayomide Oyebode of Hanover, Maryland. He was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries, then transferred to VCU Hospital in Richmond.

State Police officials say the female instructor, identified as 23-year-old Viktoria Theresie Izabelle Ljungman of Williamsburg, died at the scene. She was a licensed commercial pilot as well as a flight instructor.

10 On Your Side received a statement from her roommate. “Viktoria didn’t have a single bad bone in her body. Not only was she nice, but she was intelligent, beautiful, adventurous, punctual, a risk taker, and radiate(d) positive energy,” said Myana Mabry. “She was truly someone you only meet once. And I will love her until the day after forever.”

A third person, an 18-year-old male, also suffered life-threatening injuries. Both 18-year-olds are students in an aviation class, according to investigators. 10 On Your Side also confirmed with Hampton University they are both students there.

“Out of respect for the students and their families, we have no further comment at this time,” said a spokesperson from the university.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are now investigating the crash.

Virginia State Police provided an update Friday morning on the investigation and said it revealed that Oyebode attempted to pull the aircraft up at too steep an angle at takeoff. This caused the airplane to stall, which led to the crash.

The official cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Seamax Aircraft SeaMax M-22, N46PD: Fatal accident occurred October 06, 2022 in East Hampton, Suffolk County, New York

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

Investigator In Charge (IIC): Kemner, Heidi

The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Farmingdale, New York

N46PD LLC


Location: East Hampton, New York
Accident Number: ERA23FA007
Date and Time: October 6, 2022, 12:29 Local
Registration: N46PD
Aircraft: SEAMAX AIRCRAFT M-22 
Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

On October 6, 2022, at 1229 eastern daylight time, a Seamax Aircraft M-22 airplane, N46PD, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near East Hampton, New York. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

According to surveillance video, the pilot arrived at the airplane hangar at East Hampton Town Airport (JPX), East Hampton, New York, at 1159. At 1206, he pulled the airplane out of the hangar. Between 1206 and 1208 the pilot performed a preflight inspection, entered the airplane, shut the canopy, and started the engine at 1209. At 1214, the airplane began to taxi for departure.

Preliminary Automatic Dependent System – Broadcast (ADS-B) data indicated that the airplane departed runway 28, at 1219. Then, the airplane flew south over the water, east, and made a turn north. As the airplane was over Three Mile Harbor, ADS-B contact was lost. The airplane’s most recent flight before the accident flight occurred on September 30, 2022.

A witness reported that he heard the engine of an airplane flying over, which drew his attention. Then, he heard a loud “crack,” saw a wing separate from the airplane, and the airplane spiral down into the water.

The airplane came to rest in about 3-4 ft of water in the Three Mile Harbor. The right wing came to rest in a tree that was about 770 ft from the main wreckage.

Examination of the engine revealed that the engine was impact separated from the fuselage but remained attached to the engine mounts. There were no holes in the crankcase. All 4 cylinders remained attached to the engine. The carburetors were impact separated from the engine but remained attached through fuel lines. Both carburetor butterfly valves could be operated by hand. The spark plugs were removed and examined. All were light grey in color and exhibited minimal wear. The rocker box covers were removed and there were no anomalies noted with the rocker arms or valve springs.

Examination of the propeller revealed it remained attached to the engine. One propeller blade remained attached to the propeller hub. It exhibited chordwise scratching and leading-edge gouging. Another blade was separated from the propeller hub, was located in the vicinity of the main wreckage, and exhibited chordwise scratching. The third propeller blade was not recovered.

Examination of the airframe revealed that the fuselage was fragmented. Flight control continuity was confirmed from the flight control surfaces to the cabin through multiple breaks and overload failures. The right stabilator remained attached to the empennage and exhibited leading edge damage. The inboard section of the left stabilator remained attached to the empennage. The outboard section was impact separated and located in the vicinity of the main wreckage. The rudder remained attached to the vertical stabilizer and exhibited impact damage. The left wing was fragmented, but the left aileron, left flap, and left wing tip were located. The left wing strut was impact separated from the wing and the strut attach point bolt remained secure with the nut.

The entire right wing was separated from the main wreckage and located in a tree. The right aileron remained attached to the right wing. The right flap was separated from the right wing and located in the vicinity of the right wing. The right wing strut was separated from the right wing. The bolt attaching the right strut to the right wing remained attached to the right wing and was not fractured; however, the nut was not present. In addition, the bolt threads did not exhibit significant damage. The right and left wing strut assemblies were retained and sent to the NTSB Materials Laboratory for further examination.


Front view drawing of airplane. Red circle notes where bolt remained in place without a nut.


View of right wing strut attachment bolt as found.


Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: SEAMAX AIRCRAFT
Registration: N46PD
Model/Series: M-22 
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built:
Operator: On file 
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: VMC
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: JPX,55 ft msl 
Observation Time: 12:15 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 4.5 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 19°C /14°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 6 knots / , 340°
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 29.95 inches Hg 
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: East Hampton, NY (JPX) 
Destination: East Hampton, NY

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal 
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: N/A 
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A 
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal 
Latitude, Longitude: 41.0038,-72.1903 (est)

Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation may contact them by email witness@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov. You can also call the NTSB Response Operations Center at 844-373-9922 or 202-314-6290.

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Farmingdale, New York

Aircraft crashed under unknown circumstances.  

N46PD LLC


Date: 06-OCT-22
Time: 04:33:00Z
Regis#: N46PD
Aircraft Make: SEAMAX
Aircraft Model: M22
Event Type: ACCIDENT
Highest Injury: FATAL
Total Fatal: 1
Flight Crew: 1 Fatal
Pax: 0
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: DESTROYED
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: MANEUVERING (MNV)
Operation: 91
City: EAST HAMPTON
State: NEW YORK