NTSB Cites Pilot Error in 2021 Fatal Plane Crash Near Medford Airport

Medford, Oregon– According to a report released today by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the crash, which transpired on December 5, 2021, was attributed to pilot error.

The NTSB investigation determined that 69-year-old pilot Donald Habert Sefton, flying a Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain airplane, lost control just minutes after takeoff. The report revealed that Sefton became disoriented as the aircraft ascended into the clouds, resulting in a rapid and near-vertical descent. The plane crashed into the Airport Chevy lot, erupting into flames and tragically claiming the lives of both Sefton and his passenger, 67-year-old Valerie Jean Serpa.

“The cause is the pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control during the initial climb into clouds due to spatial disorientation, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent and collision with terrain,” stated the NTSB report.

The report highlighted a potential contributing factor. The NTSB noted that anti-collision lights were left on while in the clouds, possibly causing “flicker vertigo.” This phenomenon, described as an imbalance in brain-cell activity due to exposure to low-frequency flickering lights, can lead to nausea, dizziness, and confusion, impacting a pilot’s control of the aircraft.

The report disclosed a critical oversight on Sefton’s part, referencing the Pilot Operating Handbook which explicitly warned against operating anti-collision lights in cloud conditions. “Anti-collision lights should not be operating when flying through cloud, fog, or haze, since the reflected light can produce spatial disorientation,” stated the handbook.

Despite the significant damage inflicted on the plane by the impact and subsequent fire, the investigation found no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures.

Sefton had previously flown the aircraft from Fallon, NV, to Medford on November 24, where it underwent maintenance due to a fuel leak. The required repairs were completed, and Sefton, accompanied by Serpa, returned to Medford on the day of the accident. The couple then left in the aircraft, that evening.

Here is a link to Medford Alert’s coverage of the crash, as it happened in 2021.