N3170Z – PIPER PA-22-150 – 2026-02-28 NTSB Accident Report

On February 28, 2026, about 0948 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-22-150, N3170Z, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Oroville, California. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

According to a friend of the pilot and the owner of the accident airplane, the purpose of the flight was to fly from Richvale Airport (07CL), Richvale, California, to Paradise Airport Skypark (CA92), Paradise, California, to initiate the airplane’s annual inspection. The morning of the accident, the pilot flew his personal airplane from CA92 to 07CL, secured his airplane, and subsequently departed 07CL in the accident airplane and was enroute to CA92, which was about 12 nautical miles (nm) northwest.

A witness that spoke to the pilot via radio on the destination airports common traffic advisory frequency. About 0947, he heard the pilot issue a position report that informed CA92 airport traffic, that he was about 2.5 nm to the southwest and entering the downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern to land on runway 35. Another witness reported that about 0947, they heard a noise resembling an airplane’s engine just above their home, followed by the sound of a loud collision, coupled with the simultaneous jolt and shaking of their home shortly after. After walking outside and seeing the downed airplane, they called 911. First responder dispatch records indicated about 0948, law enforcement officers were dispatched to the accident site.

The accident site was located about 3.06 nm southwest of CA92. All major components of the airplane remained attached to or were collocated with the fuselage. The first identifiable point of impact (FIPI) was a single tree located about 12 ft west of the wreckage. The nearly 30 ft tall tree had missing branches near the top of the tree, that were found within the wreckage. The airplane impacted sloping terrain in a near vertical pitch attitude with the right wing upslope, the left wing downslope, and the empennage was folded over the aft fuselage and the inboard section of the right wing. Both wings exhibited chordwise crushing throughout the structure and their respective aileron and flap were present at the site.

The wreckage was recovered to a secure facility for further examination.