# Accident 19731031035359A: Piper PA24250, Merced, CA, October 31, 1973

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 31, 1973
- Place: Merced, CA
- Airport: Merced Municipal
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: In Traffic Pattern-Circling
- Location: 37.3114° N, 120.4704° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Merced, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.3114&lon=-120.4704&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5521P, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5521P) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-24-250 (registry code 7102404, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-250) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-540 series (registry code 41532, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA24250
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 500 total, 250 in this make and model, 39 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB OAK74DVA30](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/OAK74DVA30) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19731031035359A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB OAK74DVA30](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/OAK74DVA30), Oct 31, 1973: Piper PA-24 (N5521P), Merced, CA, substantial damage

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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