Accident Details
On January 13, 2017, at approximately 1125 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA28-236, registration N81839, impacted a beach near Port Orford, Oregon. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries, and the airplane incurred substantial damage. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The airplane departed Southwest Oregon Regional Airport (OTH) in North Bend, Oregon, at 1016.
The pilot's son reported that his father had planned to fly along the Oregon coast after weather cleared. After takeoff, the pilot communicated with OTH tower, indicating northbound coastal flight. At 1046, he reported being 10 miles north of the airport at 1,500 ft. He then requested and received a transition southbound along the coastline. At 1052, he reported crossing the extended centerline of runway 4. The tower controller requested a position report when clear of airspace; by 1103, no update was received. The controller requested a position report, and the pilot responded with a muffled transmission regarding headphone trouble.
About 10 minutes later, crews of a Coast Guard helicopter and an Air Force airplane reported that the pilot was transmitting on emergency frequency 121.5 MHz, stating he had lost vision in one eye. Radar data, limited due to terrain, captured a target squawking 7700 at 1122, traveling northbound near Port Orford at about 1,300 to 1,225 ft mean sea level for 24 seconds. The wreckage was located by a Coast Guard helicopter at 1307 on a beach 4 miles north of the last radar target.
Pilot Information
The 79-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. His most recent third-class medical certificate was issued on September 10, 2009, with a limitation for near-vision glasses, and expired on September 30, 2011. At that time, he reported 1,300 total flight hours. His most recent flight review was on October 27, 2011. The flight instructor noted good judgment but rustiness; a year before the accident, he observed considerable degradation in skills, confusion during radio communications, and difficulty with basic flying. The instructor was unaware of further training and was surprised the pilot flew that day.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was manufactured in 1980 and purchased by the pilot in 1992. Its last annual inspection was completed on March 20, 2016, at 2,725.8 total airframe hours. Between October 2011 and March 2016, the aircraft underwent four annual inspections with flight times of 11.5, 1.7, 4.2, and 13.7 hours respectively. The pilot's flight instructor, who performed the maintenance, believed the pilot was the sole operator.
Medical Information
The pilot's son reported a longstanding diagnosis of multiple chemical sensitivity and episodes of sudden vision loss in one or both eyes, attributed to chemical sensitivity. The most recent vision event occurred a year prior while driving, causing complete vision loss. The pilot also exhibited recent hearing deterioration. The flight instructor was aware of chemical sensitivity but not vision issues. An autopsy revealed massive blunt trauma as cause of death; eyes could not be examined due to damage. The brain showed diffuse atherosclerosis; the heart had concentric hypertrophy and multivessel coronary artery disease with 70-80% narrowing. Toxicology tests were negative for drugs and alcohol. The pilot had not disclosed chemical sensitivity or vision problems on his medical certificate applications.
Wreckage Information
Due to rising tides, the aircraft was removed by a local recovery company before a thorough NTSB examination. An FAA inspector conducted a brief assessment from photographs. The wreckage rested on a sandspit surrounded by water, about 50 ft from the ocean and 600 ft from beach cliffs. A debris field of nose landing gear and composite fragments led to the main wreckage. The cabin faced north and had crush damage from the firewall to the leading edge of the vertical stabilizer. The left wing folded back against the tailcone, with leading edge crush damage along its entire length, deeper at the tip. The right wing remained attached with similar crush damage. All flight control surfaces were attached. The engine remained partially attached to the firewall, submerged in sand. The three-bladed propeller remained attached to the hub, which had separated from the crankshaft.