What happened
On July 13, 2025, a Cessna 172S, registration N787LF, was involved in an accident near Sisters, Oregon. The flight, operated under Part 91 for instructional purposes, began at Aurora State Airport (UAO). The crew, consisting of a flight instructor, a student pilot, and a pilot-rated passenger, originally intended to fly toward the coast but diverted to Sisters Eagle Air Airport (6K5) due to weather.
After a stop in town, the group decided to conduct a discovery flight for the student pilot. The flight instructor occupied the front right seat, the student pilot the front left, and the pilot-rated passenger the rear left seat. During the return trip, the instructor configured the aircraft with 10 degrees of flaps and leaned the engine for best power, using the displaced threshold on runway 2 for takeoff.
During the initial climb, the instructor noted that the airspeed was not increasing as expected, suggesting the engine was not developing full power. The aircraft entered a nose-high attitude, prompting the instructor to lower the nose and execute a coordinated stall while attempting to steer toward an open area. The aircraft subsequently struck trees and impacted the terrain. Following the impact, the student pilot assisted the other occupants in exiting the aircraft before it caught fire. The accident resulted in one serious injury and two minor injuries.
An eyewitness near the airport observed the aircraft taxiing and taking off to the north. The witness noted the airplane maintained a high angle of attack and appeared to narrowly avoid the tree line before making a sharp left turn. The witness reported seeing a cloud of dust followed by black smoke, but noted no audible engine anomalies during the takeoff.