19731031035359A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-24-250 · Merced, CA · October 31, 1973

Date
October 31, 1973
Place
Merced, CA
Airport
Merced Municipal
Phase of flight
In Traffic Pattern-Circling
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N5521P
NTSB investigation
NTSBOAK74DVA30
Reported as
Piper PA24250
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
500 total250 in this make and model39 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Pilot tube blocked with insects. Caused erroneous a/s & VSI readings. Plt preoccupied.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT TUBE BLOCKED WITH INSECTS. CAUSED ERRONEOUS A/S & VSI READINGS. PLT PREOCCUPIED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.