# Incident 19970205004609I: Piper PA24250, Fresno, CA, February 5, 1997

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 5, 1997, 15:30 local time
- Place: Fresno, CA
- Airport: Fresno Air Terminal
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.7477° N, 119.7724° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Fresno, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.7477&lon=-119.7724&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8218P, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8218P-2018-01-09) (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
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 3,200 total, 125 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970205004609I

## Narrative

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

NARRATIVE: N8218P, A PIPER PA-24-250 COMMANCHE, DEPARTED MEDFORD, OREGON AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 1200 ON A VFR FLIGHT TO LANCASTER, CA. (WJF). NEAR THE HANGTOWN VOR (HNW), THE PILOT IN COMMAND WAS EXPERIENCING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE AND DECIDED TO LAND AT FRESNO YOSEMITE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (FAT). THE AIRCRAFT LANDED GEAR UP. THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S CERTIFICATE HAD EXPIRED IN 1947, ALTHOUGH THE PIC HAD A CURRENT FLIGHT REVIEW AND MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. THIS INCIDENT IS CLOSED.

## Other reports on N8218P (2)

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

- [Accident 20120802016749A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120802016749A), Aug 2, 2012: Piper PA-24-250 (N8218P), Truckee, CA, Destroyed, 1 fatal. The pilot initiated a takeoff on runway 19 with full fuel, two passengers and baggage on board. This configuration was determined to be over gross weight.…
- [Accident 19750919031689A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19750919031689A), Sep 19, 1975: Piper PA24250 (N8218P), Truckee, CA, Substantial damage. Distracted by otr acft on UNICOM.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.