19850328012099A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA30 · Death Valley, CA · March 28, 1985

Date
March 28, 1985 · 16:00 local
Place
Death Valley, CA
Airport
Natl Monument
Phase of flight
Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N802Y
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX85LA190
Reported as
Piper PA30
Reported engine
Lycoming IO320B1A
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
3,039 total2,418 in this make and model27 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.

Unable to start left engine, took off on right engine only after liftoff, right engine lost power. Water in fuel.

As the FAA filed it

UNABLE TO START LEFT ENGINE, TOOK OFF ON RIGHT ENGINE ONLY AFTER LIFTOFF, RIGHT ENGINE LOST POWER. WATER IN FUEL.

NTSB investigation

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