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19961012032079A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-181 · San Diego, CA · October 12, 1996

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 12, 1996 · 03:23 local
Place
San Diego, CA
Phase of flight
Scud Running
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N2501X
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX97LA013
Reported as
Piper PA28181
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
67 total
N2501XRegistration cancelled Apr 8, 1997 · Piper PA-28-181S/N 288590079Airframe modelPiper PA-28-181

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.

Aircraft struck power lines and crashed. (.4)according to information from the flying club that had operational control of the airplane, the airplane was taken without permission by a student pilot, who was a former member of the club. A police report was filed. Later, an investigation revealed that the student had taken the airplane after attending a party where he met his passenger. At about 0045 PDT, the student took off on a night flight. After about 2.7 hours of flight time, the airplane collided with high tension power lines, which were strung diagonally across a major city freeway. The accident site was 1.5 miles from the departure airport, and the power lines were about 75 feet above the pavement. The 0315 PDT weather at the airport was in part: 400 feet overcast, visibility 3 miles with fog, and wind calm. A toxicology test of the pilot's blood (drawn shortly after the accident) showed an alcohol level of 80 mg/dl (0.08%). Witnesses indicated that the pilot had been drinking beer at a party until almost midnight.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT STRUCK POWER LINES AND CRASHED. (.4)ACCORDING TO INFORMATION FROM THE FLYING CLUB THAT HAD OPERATIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE, THE AIRPLANE WAS TAKEN WITHOUT PERMISSION BY A STUDENT PILOT, WHO WAS A FORMER MEMBER OF THE CLUB. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. LATER, AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE STUDENT HAD TAKEN THE AIRPLANE AFTER ATTENDING A PARTY WHERE HE MET HIS PASSENGER. AT ABOUT 0045 PDT, THE STUDENT TOOK OFF ON A NIGHT FLIGHT. AFTER ABOUT 2.7 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH HIGH TENSION POWER LINES, WHICH WERE STRUNG DIAGONALLY ACROSS A MAJOR CITY FREEWAY. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS 1.5 MILES FROM THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT, AND THE POWER LINES WERE ABOUT 75 FEET ABOVE THE PAVEMENT. THE 0315 PDT WEATHER AT THE AIRPORT WAS IN PART: 400 FEET OVERCAST, VISIBILITY 3 MILES WITH FOG, AND WIND CALM. A TOXICOLOGY TEST OF THE PILOT'S BLOOD (DRAWN SHORTLY AFTER THE ACCIDENT) SHOWED AN ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 80 MG/DL (0.08%). WITNESSES INDICATED THAT THE PILOT HAD BEEN DRINKING BEER AT A PARTY UNTIL ALMOST MIDNIGHT.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB LAX97LA013Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSan Diego, CAthe student pilot's impairment of judgment and performance due to alcohol, his subsequent flight into adverse weather conditions, and his failure to maintain clearance from obstructions (power lines). Factors related to the accident were: darkness, low…Oct 12, 1996 · Destroyed

Other reports on N2501X · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19931223047199AFinal Approach · San Diego, CAStruck powerlines one mile short of runway landing. Recovered and made runway. Pilot blamed windshear. Not verifiedDec 23, 1993 · Substantial damage